2926 Melvale Street Property History

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The project area as depicted on a 1919 Sanborn fire insurance map, with the original lot plan of the village of Richmond superimposed. Most of lot 28 later became 2926 Melvale, and along with lots 27, 29, 30, 31, and 32, it belonged to the Richmond Presbyterian Church. Courtesy of Pennsylvania State University.

Development and Early Residents, 1843 – 1872

In February 1845, Philadelphia lawyer Eli K. Price sold a 60-x-200-foot lot located on the southeast side of Richmond Street—260 feet northeast of William Street (now East Cambria Street), and extending to Larch Street (now Melvale Street)—to Adam B. Wright, Joseph Ashton, and Thomas Brown Smith on a ground rent of $135 a year. 1 Composed of six smaller lots, numbered 27 through 32 on the plan of the village of Richmond, the three men had not acquired this property for their own use, but rather as a permanent location for the Richmond Presbyterian Church. The church’s congregation had been worshiping in an old schoolhouse on William Street for a few months when the property on Richmond Street was purchased, though plans for a frame church had been drawn up as early as December 1844. 2 This church, fronting on Richmond, was complete enough for use by October 1846. A parsonage, located behind the church and fronting on Larch Street, was completed by late 1854, if not earlier. 3 Though Wright, Ashton, and Smith had purchased the property as agents of the church, it was not until March 1859 that they formally conveyed it to the church’s board of trustees. 4

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The Richmond Presbyterian Church property as depicted in the 1862 Smedley’s Atlas of the City of Philadelphia. Courtesy of the Map Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia.

At some point, likely in the mid-1860s, more dwellings were constructed on the property fronting on Larch Street, which by this point had been renamed Melvale. 5 The reason for this is unknown, but it may have been to provide the congregation with rental income. Laborer Samuel Davison moved into the southwesternmost of these dwellings—a frame structure numbered 1622 Melvale Street. 6 Little is known about Davison, though he likely resided in the house with his wife Martha and infant son George. 7 He seems to have left the property in 1866 or sometime shortly after, and was possibly followed by potter William Wootton. 8 Almost nothing is known about Wootton, though his surname bears a resemblance to that of John E. Wootten, who had previously run the Reading Railroad’s Port Richmond facilities. 9

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The frame dwelling at 1622 Melvale Street as depicted in volume four of the 1875 G.M. Hopkins City Atlas of Philadelphia by Wards, Complete n 7 Volumes. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

By 1870, the house at 1622 Melvale was vacant. At a meeting of the congregation held in March 1872, the decision was made to sell the parsonage property, which was deemed to be the portion of the church lot fronting on Melvale and extending back 90 feet. 10 In November 1872, the board of trustees subdivided this property and sold the 20-x-90-foot lot on which 1622 Melvale sat to Irish-born laborer Patrick Gilday for $1,150. 11

The Gilday Family, 1872–1937

Despite purchasing the house in late 1872, Patrick Gilday was not listed at the address in the city directories until 1877. Listed in that year’s directory as “Patrick Kildare,” he may have been the same Patrick Kildare listed at 1366 Edgemont Street in the 1876 directory. 12 If this is the case, the reasons for the delayed move are unknown, though Gilday may have purchased 1622 Melvale as an investment property, which he seems to have done with a building lot at the corner of Thompson and Ann Streets that he purchased in January 1872 and sold a little over a year later. 13 At the time of the 1880 census, the Gilday family included 55-year-old Patrick, his 53-year-old Irish-born wife Bridget, their 33-year-old son Patrick J., 29-year-old son Peter, 23-year-old daughter Mary, 20-year-old daughter Margaret (“Maggie”), 17-year-old son Richard, and 13-year old daughter Kate. Peter was employed as a laborer, like his father, but Patrick J. had recently become a fireman with Engine Company 28, where he served as acting foreman in the early 1890s. 14 The family may have even taken in boarders from time to time, as mariner Antoine Silver was listed at the address in the 1886 city directory. This is probably a simple typo, however, as this individual is likely Anton Selby, listed the next year at 2956 Melvale with the family he usually resided with. 15

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The frame house at 1622/2926 Melvale as depicted in the 1886 G.M. Hopkins Atlas of the City of Philadelphia. 25th Ward. Engine Company 28, where Patrick Gilday was a fireman, can be seen in the upper left corner. Courtesy of the Map Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia.

Richard Gilday may have been committed to the State Hospital for the Insane in Norristown around 1885, the only year he is listed at 1622 Melvale in the city directories. He would die at the hospital of tuberculosis in March 1889 at age 26. 16 In the late 1880s, the property saw two big changes occur—first, the address was changed to 2926 Melvale Street in 1885, and then sometime between 1886 and 1891, the frame house was demolished and replaced with a house composed of a three-story brick front portion and a two-story frame rear portion. 17

In March 1895, Bridget Gilday died of pneumonia. 18 The same ailment would claim her daughter Kate at age 33 in March 1900. 19 None of the Gilday children had married by this point, much less moved out of their parents’ house. Patrick appears to have retired by this time, Patrick J. and Peter were both employed as laborers, and Mary kept house while Maggie operated a dressmaking business from their home. 20 The senior Patrick Gilday died the day after Christmas 1902, leaving his four surviving children with the house. 21

Little changed over the next two decades—the Gilday brothers continued to work as laborers and Maggie kept her dressmaking business until about 1917. 22 In February 1921, Mary Gilday died of heart problems and was followed by her brother Peter in September 1922. 23 Patrick J. Gilday died in August 1927, leaving the surviving Gilday child, Maggie, alone. 24 Maggie moved in with the family of her cousin, Annie O’Donnell, at 2640 Ann Street, where she resided until her death on July 1, 1938. 25

Final Years, Circa 1937–1966

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Helen Guild’s picture in the 1937 yearbook for Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. Courtesy of Ancestry.com, “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012,” ancestry.com subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Helen Guild.

In her will, Maggie Gilday bequeathed the residue of her estate (including 2926 Melvale Street) to Rev. William McCook, a Roman Catholic priest stationed at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church on Allegheny Avenue. 26 McCook seems to have rented the property for a time before selling it to one of the tenants, Bertha L. Guild, who held it in trust for Helen Guild. The Guilds’ precise relationship is unclear. In the 1940 census, both are listed as residing at 2926 Melvale, but a 57-year-old widow named Jassy W. Fredz is listed as the head of the household and apparently ran a boardinghouse at the address. The 43-year-old Bertha (enumerated as Bruno) was listed as a widow and worked in a cotton mill, while 26-year-old and unmarried Helen Guild was employed as a nurse at a hospital. Bertha’s birthplace was given as Pennsylvania, while Helen’s was given as Massachusetts. Also residing in the house were Henry Gordon, a 69-year-old lodger, and two children aged eight and six named Irena and Joseph, respectively. A literal reading of the census indicates that they are the children of Jassy W. Fredz, though their listing under Helen Guild with a line in the place of their surname might denote them as her children. 27

Helen Guild married Ralph E. Hilliard in the early 1940s, and by late 1942, the newly married couple had moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, along with Bertha. 28 They sold the house at 2926 Melvale to stevedore Michael Pawloski and his wife Frances in December of that year. 29 The Pawloski family had been residing in a rented home at 2938 Melvale Street with their three children—Joseph, Stella, and Genevieve—but now moved their family six doors down to the house at 2926 Melvale. 30, enumeration district 0592, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa] Michael died in February 1962, and Frances would have been forced to move from the address when it was condemned in 1966 for the construction of Interstate 95. 31

References

  1. Philadelphia County Deed Book RLL 38:356, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web ↩
  2. “Richmond Presbyt’n Church,” Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Inquirer, September 8, 1874, p. 2, Genealogy Bank, subscription database accessed March 2014, http://www.genealogybank.com; “Sealed Proposals will be received…,” advertisement, Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), December 19, 1844, p. 2, Newspapers.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.newspapers.com ↩
  3. A. McElroy, comp., McElroy’s Philadelphia Directory for 1855, “Philadelphia City Directories,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.fold3.com; entry for Jas. G. Shinn, p. 502 ↩
  4. Philadelphia County Deed Book ADB 55:155, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web  ↩
  5. Samuel L. Smedley, Smedley’s Atlas of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1862), plate 13; G. M. Hopkins, City Atlas of Philadelphia by Wards, Complete in 7 Volumes vol 4. (Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1875), plate A; A. McElroy, comp., McElroy’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1866, “Philadelphia City Directories,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.fold3.com; entry for David Kennedy, p. 833 ↩
  6. McElroy, Philadelphia City Directory for 1866, entry for Samuel Davison, p. 184 ↩
  7. “1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Samuel Davidsen (Davison), 1st enumeration, enumeration district 81, 24th (25th) Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ↩
  8. James Gopsill, comp., Gopsill’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1868, “Philadelphia City Directories,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.fold3.com; entry for William Wootton, p. 1658 ↩
  9. James L. Holton, The Reading Railroad: History of a Coal Age Empire, Volume 1: The Nineteenth Century (Laury’s Station, Pennsylvania: Garrigues House, 1989), p. 129  ↩
  10. “1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for (Empty Dwelling, p, 65 (penned)), 2nd enumeration, enumeration district 81, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa.; “Philadelphia, Pa. Richmond Presbyterian Church. Trustees’ papers & other records, 1872-1934.” MS P526tp, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ↩
  11. Philadelphia County Deed Book JAH 292:247, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web  ↩
  12. Gopsill, Philadelphia City Directory for 1876, entry for Patrick Kildare, p. 834; ibid. 1877, Patrick Kildare, p. 803 ↩
  13. Philadelphia County Deed Book JAH 205:402, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web; FTW 35:176, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed October 2015, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web ↩
  14. “1880 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Patrick Gilday, enumeration district 0524, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa.; Common Council of the City of Philadelphia, Journal of the Common Council of the City of Philadelphia, from July 1, 1879-April 1, 1880. vol. 2 (Philadelphia: E. C. Markley and Son, printer, 1880), 1262; Second Annual Message of Edwin S. Stuart, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, with Annual Reports of the Director of the Department of Public Safety, and Chief of the Bureau of Fire for the Year ending December 31, 1892 (Philadelphia: Dunlap Printing Co., printer, 1893), pp. 136, 248, Record Group 74.1, Philadelphia City Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ↩
  15. James Gopsill’s Sons, comp., Gopsill’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1886, “Philadelphia City Directories,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.fold3.com; entries for Antoine Silver, p. 1583, Mary Smith, wid George, h 2956 Melvale, p. 1612; ibid. 1887, Antoine Selby, p. 1522, Mary Smith, wid George, h 2956 Melvale, p. 1582  ↩
  16. Ibid. 1885, Richard Gilday, p. 674; “Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803–1915,” database accessed August 2015, https://familysearch.org; entry for Richard Gilday, March 14, 1889 ↩
  17. Gopsill’s Sons, Philadelphia City Directory for 1885, entries for Patrick Gilday, laborer, h 1622 Melvale, and Patrick J. Gilday, p. 673, Peter F. Gilday, and Richard Gilday, p. 674; ibid. 1886, Patrick Gilday and Patrick J. Gilday, p. 648; G. M. Hopkins, Atlas of The City of Philadelphia. 25th Ward (Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1886), plate 5; George W. Bromley and Walter S. Bromley, Atlas of the City of Philadelphia. Volume 9, 25th & 33rd Wards (Philadelphia: G. W. Bromley & Co., 1891), plate 6; Sanborn Map Company, Insurance Maps of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Vol. 9 (New York: Sanborn Map Co., 1919), Plate 814  ↩
  18. “Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803–1915,” database accessed August 2015, https://familysearch.org; entry for Bridget Gilday, March 2, 1895 ↩
  19. “Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803–1915,” database accessed August 2015, https://familysearch.org; entry for Kate Gilday, March 9, 1900 ↩
  20. “1900 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Patrick Kilday, enumeration district 0592, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa ↩
  21. “Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803–1915,” database accessed August 2015, https://familysearch.org; entry for Patrick Gilday, December 26, 1902  ↩
  22. “1910 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Patrick J. Kilday, enumeration district 0546, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa.; “1920 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Jack Patrick (Patrick Gilday), enumeration district 0747, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa.; C.E. Howe, comp., Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1917, “Philadelphia City Directories,” subscription database accessed August 2015, https://www.fold3.com; entry for Margaret Gildea (Gilday), Patk. Gildea (Gilday), and Peter F. Gildea (Gilday), p. 688; ibid. 1918, Margaret Gildea (Gilday), Patk. J. Gildea (Gilday), and Peter F. Gildea (Gilday), p. 717 ↩
  23. “Pennsylvania State Department of Health Death Certificates,” Ancestry.com subscription database accessed August 2015, http://ancestry.com; entry for Mary Gilday, February 21, 1921, File Number 12948; “Pennsylvania State Department of Health Death Certificates,” Ancestry.com subscription database accessed August 2015, http://ancestry.com; entry for Peter Gilday, September 27, 1922, File Number 81738 ↩
  24. “Pennsylvania State Department of Health Death Certificates,” Ancestry.com subscription database accessed August 2015, http://ancestry.com; entry for Patrick Kilday, August 7, 1927, File Number 74715 ↩
  25. “1930 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Margaret Kilday, enumeration district 51-0915, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa.; “Pennsylvania State Department of Health Death Certificates,” Ancestry.com subscription database accessed August 2015, http://ancestry.com; entry for Margaret Gilday, July 1, 1938, File Number 59304  ↩
  26. Philadelphia County Deed Book DWH 834:231; “1930 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for William McCook, enumeration district 51-1134, 45th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa ↩
  27. “1940 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Jassy W. Fredz, enumeration district 51-0738, 25th Ward, Philadelphia, Pa  ↩
  28. Philadelphia County Deed Book CJP 114:253 ↩
  29. Philadelphia County Deed Transfer Index Sheet 021N15A2, Line 58, accessed October 2015, http://philadox.phila.gov/phillyhistoricalindex/ ↩
  30. “1940 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, subscription database accessed August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com; entry for Michael Pataloski [Pawloski ↩
  31. “Pennsylvania State Department of Health Death Certificates,” Ancestry.com subscription database accessed March 2015, http://ancestry.com; entry for Michael Pawlaski (Pawloski), February 7, 1962, File Number 019409-62; Philadelphia County Deed Book CAD 632:292, “Historical Land and Vital Records,” subscription database accessed September 2014, https://www.phila-records.com/historic-records/web  ↩