Independence Historic Resource Study

Chain of Title for 134 North Fifth Street (formerly 84 N. Fifth St.),
The address for James Dexter, 1790-1798

NOTE: The record has not yet been found entitling Caleb and Joshua Cresson to the half block north of Cherry Street, but the likelihood is strong that they inherited the real estate from Samuel Emlen, their relative (grandfather?).

Caleb Cresson and Joshua Cresson, Merchants, City of Philadelphia
To
Ebenezer Robinson, brushmaker
January 1, 1770 Lot 20 by 80 feet, to a certain 10 foot alley
GWR 6, 275 [Robinson insures a plain two story brick house, 1791
     James Dexter, coachman, on record as tenant 1790-98]

Phineas Buckley and Joshua R. Smith
Executors to Estate of Ebenezer Robinson
To
John Jenkins, shoemaker
November 22 1823

Mary Jenkins, Administratrix
To
John Bechtel, shoemaker
20 June 1831 lot with a two-story brick messuage or tenement
AM 10, 666-669

Ann Wharton
To
John Bechtel
Nov. 15, 1833 for purchase of ground rent ($200)
AM 44, 164

John Bechtel, shoe dealer
To
George Neale
May 22 1834 lot with two-story brick messuage or tenement
AM 47, 247

George Neale, et ux,, farmer, Brandywine Hundred, Newcastle Co., Delaware
To
George F. Lee, brickayer, Northern Liberties
12 Oct. 1842 two-story brick messuage and lot
GS45, 206

George F. Lee of Northern Liberties
To
Philip Doflein, Patternmaker, Phila.
14 August 1846 two-story brick messuage or tenement and lot
AWM 12, 510

Philip Doflein, pattern maker, and Helena his wife
To
Andrew Engelke, shopkeeper
Oct. 31, 1891
TG102, 118
This deed transfers a four-story brick messuage or tenement and lot 19'8 from Cherry Street. The deed recites that Philip Dolfein "hath taken the said two-story Brick messuage and Built & erected thereon the 4-story brick messuage," but does not give a date. The 4-story building, which survived until the pre-demolition photographs of Block Three, therefore was built sometime between 1846, when Dolfein took the title to the property, and 1891, at the next deed transfer.]

Andrew Engelke died intestate 21 Dec 1896, leaving wife Katherine & 2 children

William F. Gibbons and John Engelke
To
Katherine Engelke
6 May 1905 brick tenement & lot
W.S.V. 490, 26

Katherine Engelke Regenspurger and
Max Regenspurger
To
M. Hanson & Co.
17 October 1927
JMH 265, 4

E.M. Hanson & Co., Inc., a PA corporation
To
General State Authority
December 1, 1958 lot with brick tenement
?

CITY DIRECTORIES, 1844-1900

Philip Doflein

McElroy's Philadelphia Directory,
1844-1845: chaser*, 84 N. Fifth St.
McElroy's 1847-1848: chaser, 84 N. Fifth St.
McElroy's 1855: chaser, 84 N. Fifth

*Chaser: "One who chases or engraves metal." Oxford English Dictionary

McElroy's 1857: trimming store & chaser, 84 N. Fifth St.
McElroy's 1858: trimming store & chaser, 134 N. Fifth St.
McElroy's 1860: no listing
McElroy's 1865: mouldmaker, 134 N. Fifth St.

Gospills Philadelphia City Directory for 1870: mouldmaker, 1 Clyde pl; home 134 N. Fifth St.
Gospills 1875: moulder, h 446 N. 7th Street
GospilIs 1880: h. 410 Green Street
Gospills 1885: bottlemoulds, 1 Clyde pl. h. 524 N. 4th S t. Gospills 1890: moulds, 118 Clyde pl.
Gospills 1895: moulder, 1 Clyde pl. h. 524 N. 4th Gospills
Gospills 1900: Dolfein, Helen, wid Philip, h. 524 N. 4th
      Dolfein, P. carpenter, 101 N. Reese

Andrew Enqelke

[pays Dolfein a mortgage in 1891 for the 4-story building and lot at 134 N. Fifth St.]

Gospills Directory, 1890: liquors, 134 N. 5th
Gospills 1895: fruit, 134 N. 5th St. h. 524 N. 4th St.
[the home address is same as Doflein's listing, 1885 ff, which suggests that they have a family tie. Andrew Engelke died intestate in Dec. 1896; Catherine Engelke is his widow and perhaps Dolfein's daughter.]
Gospills 1900: Catherine Engelke, fruit, 134 N. 5th St.
Gospills 1905: Katherine Engelke, fruit, 134 N. 5th St.
Gospills 1910: Katherine Engelke, fruit, 134 N. 5th St.
Gospills 1915: Katherine Engelke, cigars, 134 N. 5th
Katherine Engelke Regenspurger and Max Regenspurger, cigars, 134 N. 5 St. sell to M. Hanson & Co., Oct. 17, 1927

Hanson & Company

Polk's-Boyd's Philadelphia Directory 1925, 1930, and 1934 list Hanson & Co., electrotypers, 233 S. 8th St. [This was the only Hanson & Co. listed; perhaps they invested in real estate and leased this building and lot out until Dec. 1, 1958, when sold to the Pennsylvania General State Authority.]