Occupation and Use of the 500 block of Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1680-1850:

An Historic Resource Study conducted for Independence National Historical Park

Sharon Ann Holt, Ph.D
Research Associate of the Philadelphia Center for Early American Studies
University of Pennsylvania

August, 1997

SECTION I: West along High Street, south side, from 5th to 6th, with dates

500 [ON= Patent 61, Davis, Richard

168] Bezer, John, 1741-48

Dunn, James, boarding house, 1795

Crosby & Thursby, merchants, 1801

Fassitt, Thomas, 1820-1832

Earps, Hoopes & Woolfe, hardware merchants, 1833

Fassitt, E. C., 1849 (with 502 and 8-12 S. 5th)

502 [ON= Patent 61, Davis, Richard

168/170] Bezer, John, 1741-48

Odenheimer, John, <1772

Gilbert, John, Dr. of physic and surgery, >1772

Jones, William, gentleman, 1801

Jones, Robert, 1820, 1833 (with 500)

 

504 [ON= Patent 61, Davis, Richard

170/172] Flower, Enoch, 1741-48

Lynch, Edward, merchant, 1801

Jones, R. E., 1804-1833, 1849

(with 506, 1841)

 

506 Patent 61, Davis Richard

[ON=170/ Flower, Enoch, 1741-48

172 1/2] Miller, Jonathan, merchant, 1801

Jones, Robert E. (w/ 504), 1841

 

508 Patent 61, Davis Richard

[ON=172/ Flower, Enoch, 1741-1748

174/176] Kinsey, John <1751, (Notables)

Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-1756 (Special Topics)

Shelly, Abraham, 1756

Jones, Robert E., 1841

Orne, James et al, as trustees, 1866

 

510 [ON= Patent 61, Davis, Richard

174/176 Pickering, Charles <1741

Rakestraw, William, 1741-48

Stuart, General Walter 1751?

Sheaff, Wiliam, 1785

Kinsey, Abraham, gentleman, 1801 (w/ stable in the back)

Pepper, Henry, 1804?

3-story brick house or store, 1834

Pepper, Margaret, 1841

 

512 [ON= Patent 61, Davis, Richard

176/178]

Stein, Jacob, flour merchant, 1795

Kane, John Kintzing, judge, 1840 (Notables)

(w/ #5 Minor St.)

Kane, Elizabeth, dec'd. 1841

 

514 [ON= Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel, 178/180] Bowden, James

Pickering, Charles <1741

Rakestraw, William, 1741-48

House, Widow, 1785

Kintzing, Abraham, grazier, 1795

Sheaff, Henry, wine merchant

Burt, Nathaniel, 1814

Toland, Robert, 1826-1848

1834-4 story brick store

Toland, Mrs. Robert, 1849

Baker, Alfred E., 1867, (w/ 515/517 Market)

Toland, Robert, est. of, 1881-1890

 

516 [ON= Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

180/182] Bowden, James

Consley, Richard, 1741-48

Miller, Jonathan, 1818

Burt, Nathaniel, 1834-41

 

518 [ON= Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

182/184 Bowden, James

Greenway, Robert, 1741-48

Ridgway, Jacob, 1841

Bennett [Josiah] & Co., tailors, 1849-1905

(built Tower Hall, image in Baxters, and in other litographs and photos. See images file, 19th century, post-1850)

 

NOTE: From 518 to 528, the definition of early property boundaries is impossible to reconstruct from the data I found. Density seems to have been low. In the western portion of this uncertain space began the Penn/Masters/ Morris/Washington property, information on which is provided in the folder marked "526-28-30 Market"

 

520 Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

Bowden, James

Greenway, Robert, 1741-1748

Steen, Robert, 1841

 

522 Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

[ON=188?] Bowden, James

Greenway, Robert, 1741-48

Smith, Cornelius, grocery store, and Mary Stevenson, dower, 1839-1841

Smith, Robert, S., 1887, new building

 

524 Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

Bowden, James

Harley, Robert, 1741-4

Risk, Anna K., 1841

Risk, Nancy K., 1853

 

526/528/ Patent 62, Flower, Enoch, Broomly, Nathaniel,

530 Bowden, James for 526/528.

[ON=190/ Patent 64, Bowman, William, for 530

192 1/2, Harley, Robert, 1741-48

194 & Penn, Governor, house, 1779 (Notables)

194 1/2] Washington, George, President of the U.S., house

1791-1797 (Notables)

Kennedy, Anthony and John, merchants, 1817

Burt, Nathaniel, 1833?-1855

532 [ON= Patent 64, Bowman, William

192/196] Harley, Robert, 1741-48

Henry, Alexander, 1812, (w/ 25 and 27 Minor St.)

Henry, John S., 1831 (w/ 534)

Henry, John S., dec'd., 1841

Garden & Brown, wholesale and retail hats and caps, 1848

Henry, Alexander, 1852-1865

Wanamaker [John] and Brown department store,1860s, (Notables)

 

534 Patent 64, Bowman, William

[ON=198] Greenway, Robert, 1741-48

Henry, John S., 1831-41

Henry, Alexander, devisees of, 1852

 

536 Patent 64, Bowman, William

[ON=200] Greenway, Robert, 1741-48

Stedman, Alexander, 1766

Dickinson, John, 1785 (Notables)

Morris, Robert, merchant, 1795 (Notables)

Schuylkill Bank, 1831-41

McNeill, Perry, 1849

Oak Hall, 1859

Wanamaker and Brown, 1870

 

SECTION J: South along 6th Street, east side, from High to Minor

 

No frontage on 6th street recorded.

 

SECTION K: East along Minor St. (Ludlow), north side, from 6th to 5th.

 

Address:

[5]27 Pratt, Henry, 1850, ne cor, 6th and Minor.

[5]25

 

[50]5 Kane, John K., 1848, back of Kane lot on High street, also owned by

Edwards, George M., date uncertain

Price, Thomas W., 1871

 

[50]3 3 story brick stable, carriage house, and store, 1834

 

No other frontage on Minor street, north side.

 

SECTION L: North along 5th St., west side, from Minor to High.

 

16 possible image, pre-1850, etching called "Independence Hall" by Falconer, a later paper printing building, 16' wide

14 Pepper building, Electrotype foundry, 1915, 14' wide,

12 one of which was most likely the dispensary for

10 the Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-56, then

8 Esling, Paul, breechesmaker, #8 S. 5th, 1791

 

No other 5th street frontage.

 

SECTION M: West along Minor Street, south side, from 5th to 6th

 

West 141 feet along lot fronting on 5th street, then

 

[5]17 Morris, Robert, 1787(?)

Chestnut, Ingersol, J., 1801

back lot Ridgway, John J., 1857,

 

[5]23-29 Pepper, George S. (Notables), 1819

Chestnut,

back lots

alley, 13 feet wide, and extending 114 feet south from Minor St., then west 82 feet to se cor, 6th and Minor.

 

SECTION N: South along 6th street, east side, from Minor to Chestnut

 

15 Peterson, Derrick, 1802

Johnson, Samuel, 1825

Pepper, George, 1828 (Notables)

Cooper and Fry, 1865

 

17 Turnbull, Alexander, 1802

 

19& Ogle, Thomas, 1824

21 Sandreth, David, 1853

 

23 & Girvan, James, 1802

Abbott and Barnes, 1802 (east portion of lot?)

Blackstone, Lindsey, 1857,

25

 

27 unoccupied lot, then south 17 feet to

 

29 Davis, Mary, 1771, then south 17 feet to

 

31 unoccupied lot, then south 17 feet to

 

33 Roney, Elizabeth, 1771, then south 17 feet to

 

back of 537 Chestnut, then south 73 feet to ne cor Chestnut and 6th.

 

SECTION O: West along Chestnut Street, north side, from 6th to 5th

 

see hand-drawn map in "South Side, general", along with Parson's listing (reproduced more readably), in "Maps, both sides"

 

SECTION P: North along 5th Street, west side, from Chestnut to Minor.

 

North 178 feet including modern lots 42-28, along the side of 501 Chestnut Street, to

 

Duey's Court (1814), an area extending 130-140 feet west from 5th street, and varying in width from 9 feet at the 5th street opening, to 20 feet within the block, to perhaps 6 feet at its westernmost end.

 

at nw cor, Duey's Court and 5th, property of

 

26 Norris, Isaac, 1787 (image, 1874)

Baler, Chalkley, 1833

Fire Company, 1836, then north 16.3 feet to

 

24 McCaraher, Alexander, 1836, (image, 1874), then north 21 feet to

 

22 Esling, Paul, breechesmaker, 1786-1791

Ridgway, John, 1814, then north 20 feet to

 

Jones, E??. heirs of, (Matlack, J. and Teerson, J.), 1789

Ridgway, Jacob, 1830, then north 18.1 feet to the sw cor of 5th and Minor

500 Block of Market Street, 1680-1850 6Names of Property Owners, South side, by Location

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