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Northwood Civic Meeting

bannister crop

Anthony Bannister

I took some time to digest the Northwood Civic meeting of last Tuesday.  As has been reported in NEastPhilly.com by Chris Wink, Anthony Bannister made his case for the group who wants to buy the former New Frankford Community Y property.  They intend to operate it as a for profit enterprise.

Also discussed was the Civic’s plan to file a class action law suit against property owner’s within the Northwood deed restricted area who are renting their properties.  Barry Howell spoke about the necessity of enforcing the deed restriction.  This will not be something that can be done in a short time frame.  In order for this to work, they must first establish who is violating the deed restriction.  That research will take some time.  Then an attorney must take on the case.  Those are hurdles that have to be overcome.

Barry also addressed the issue of absentee owners of non deed restricted properties and the problems that some of them are causing the residents.  He made it clear that those issues are going to be addressed as well.  Again that will not be an easy fight but they are going to take it on.

I have since talked to a few people who attended the meeting and they say they have a degree of optimism.  Well, I kind of go along with that and it has taken me a few days to figure out why.  It’s been a long time since I heard somebody say they were going to do something.  Bannister says they have a vision and they are going to get it done.  Howell says its not going to be easy but we are going to get it done.

Well maybe it won’t be that easy, but I’m tired of hearing people tell me what the can’t do and why.  Let’s hear it for the doers.  Let’s support Northwood Civic by standing behind them in what they are trying to do.

No I don’t live in Northwood but what is good for Northwood is good for Frankford as a whole.

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My Meanderings Through Frankford’s History; The Castors and Hormann

I’ve had too much coffee this morning.  I’m way too caffeinated to be able to write a cohesive narrative about Frankford’s history this morning but I’ve learned a lot.  So I’ve thought of an idea about splitting our history into two kinds of posts, one where I regurgitate the things I’ve learned and the paths of history and the internet to get that learning.  And the other will be a book report.

So this is what’s floating around, I have some pics from my two hours at the Historical Society with Debbie Klak.  One of those pics is of a model of a street car from one of the Castor family.  I’ve got reader Warren who found out the original owner of Blumhaven was F. Hermann.  I heard a nugget that the Greenwoods who built the Globe Dye Works were the original owners of the mansion next door and I’ve got a ghost story to go with it.  You know Horrocks Street?  I know what they called at least one of their houses and some history of the ones that still stand.  Oh and I’ve got picks from the news archives of the first two Frankford hospitals and the family names of the philanthropists who got them started.  You’ve heard of Benedict Arnold?  I’ve got something his wife used to sneeze in.  All of it good stuff.

But what the hell, let’s start with googling for the name of company name for the pic of carriage, Frankford and Southwark.  And boy are people huge into trains so I now have info of Frankford’s place in early 20th century mass transit.  Then I google the owner, Thomas Castor, and find out some good Castor family history.  Now I follow the name Warren came up with and google “Hormann and Frankford” and the second link down leads me to pic from someone named castorbb on webshots.  And just take a look at his albums.  He’s gotta be a Castor decendent because he has a ton of family pics and he has more than a few narratives with his pics.  His Hormann album has a building materials invoice for Blumhaven, plans for Horman’s glass works at Lehigh and Tilton, which I’m absolutely not googling right now cause this will never end.  And why does castorbb, descendant of the Castors, care about F Hormann the original owner of Blumhaven?  Cause Horman’s daughter married into the Castors, here’s the wedding invitation, held at 4651 Leiper Street.  There’s a ton of the stuff in this guy’s ablums, surf through them and check out his descriptions, some of his Castor stuff is really detailed and he even has original pics of Thomas Ellwood Castor’s house on Penn Street.

And now I’m done, I’m throwing up any pics of mine, or ones found on the internet because this post isn’t meant to suplant a proper narrative, which I’ll get to sooner or later.  There’s just a ton of history right there in a half our of googling.  I just want to show where all this stuff comes from.  castorbb’s webshots albums are a real find, check them out through the link below.\

[link]  http://community.webshots.com/user/castorrb

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Coming Up in Frankford

  • Parent Computer ExpoNext Week In Frankford
    When – Sat, November 21, 9am – 12pm
    Where – Frankford High School, 5000 Oxford Ave. Phila. PA 19124 (map)
  • Fall For Your Park at Overington Park
    When – Sat, November 21, 10am – 1pm
    Where – Overington Park, Leiper and Orthodox Streets (map)
    Description – Our next Friends of Overington Park event is on Saturday November 21, 2009, from 10am till 1pm. We will be planting a few trees, and racking up leaves, I hope some of your readers would like to attend. The event is called Fall For Your Park and will be going on around the city in over 60 parks. I hope to see you there.
  • Town hall meeting
    When – Tue, November 24, 7pm – 8pm
    Where – St. Joachim’s church hall, Church and Griscom streets.Phila. Pa 19124 (map)
    DescriptionCaptain Bachmayer (15th District) invites residents from the district to share their concerns at a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. at St. Joachim’s church hall, Church and Griscom streets.
  • Program at the Historical Society of Frankford
    When – Sun, November 29, 2pm – 4pm
    Where – Historical Society of Frankford, 1507 Foulkrod Street, Phila. PA 19124 (map)
    Description – THE LENAPE TRADITION — Special Guest Program and Fundraiser Indian Cultural Museum of Allentown This interactive program and display will highlight the heritage of the Lenape people that were the first to inhabit the area that is now Frankford. In light of the Thanksgiving holiday, it is appropriate to remember and appreciate the people that once called Frankford home. Join the folks from the Indian Cultural Center in Allentown as they share information on their history and traditions. The Historical Society of Frankford is also mounting a small display of its own Lenape and other Northeast Philadelphia American Indian artifacts. Activities for all ages will be offered, so bring the entire family and support the educational outreach HSF has been doing for over 100 years to promote and preserve the history of Northeast Philadelphia. Special refreshments will be offered.
  • Frankford Civic Association Meeting
    When – Thu, December 3, 7pm – 8pm
    Where – Frankford Hospital – 2nd floor conference room (map)
  • DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? St. Joachim’s Christmas Event
    When – Sun, December 6, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
    Where – St. Joachims, 1507 Church St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)
    Description – St. Joachim’s is presenting the biggest Christmas event ever! It will be held in the Church on Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 3:00 PM. Join us for an afternoon of music, fun, drama and prayer. Free admission. 3 pm to 4:30 pm with refreshments following. Invite your friends and neighbors!
  • Historical Society of Frankford program
    When – Tue, December 8, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
    Where – 1507 Orthodox St., Philadelphia, PA 19124 (map)
    Description – MUSEUM and MEMBERS SHARE HOLIDAY TREASURES — Historical Society of Frankford Volunteers and Members. HSF’s Museum and Library has items in its collection that were likely holiday gifts or accessories for past Frankford families. You may have an item that your family has used or a special holiday gift that has been enjoyed over the years. Bring them to share with our members and volunteers as you get an insider’s view of some of HSF’s special items. Educational holiday crafts for the children will be offered, so bring your young people to this festive meeting. And feel free to bring a dessert as we gather to enjoy our traditional holiday sweets buffet.
  • Frankford Garden Club trip to Longwood Gardens
    When – Sat, December 12, 3pm – 9pm
    Where – Bus departs Griscom and Orthodox Streets (map)
    Description – Trip to Longwood Gardens on Saturday December 12- $5 for Garden Club members, $12 for adult guests, $6 for children guests! The Bus will leave from Griscom and Orthodox Streets at 3:00 pm, arriving at Longwood around 4pm – we will return by 9pm
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Herman Blum, Blumhaven And Craftex Mills

I started out not knowing too much of Herman Blum.  In fact, I thought his name was Henry.  But an intrepid reader not only figured out that 4651 Leiper Street’s given name is Blumhaven, but they also turned up more interesting information on him and his house.

We aren’t the only ones interested in Herman Blum and Blumhaven.  Karen Stevens, an archivist with Independence National Historical Park asked a question about “the Blumhaven Library in the Frankford section of Philadelphia” on Temple’s Delaware Valley Archivist Group last December 2007.  Now I don’t know a whole lot of about Frankford’s history but I have a good grasp on where all the brick and mortar stuff is and was, and there’s no Blumhaven Library.  But it turns out the Historical Society of Frankford’s own archivist, Jack McCarthey, knew what was what.  He told Ms Stevens:

The Blumhaven Library no longer exists. It was Herman Blum’s rare book and
manuscript collection, which was donated to the PHMC and is now Manuscript
Group MG-169 at the PA State Archives. Herman Blum was a textile executive
and manuscript collector who lived in Frankford. The Library was in his
house which still stands.

I found a listing of the documents he turned over, it’s pretty impressive.  He had property deeds signed by William Penn himself.  Blum himself corresponded with Pierre DuPont.  He’s got James Buchanan writing to all sorts of people, Stephen Girard, and a bunch of other guys that end up in Wikipedia, he had original deeds signed by William Penn.  All of this stuff in what had to have been one mean looking library in that house.

So how’d he earn that house money?  Mr Blum(1885 – 1973) who lived some 88 years, bought his jacquard mill, located in Kensington at  1806 Venango Street, in 1923.  He turned it into Craftex Mills.  Suprisingly, Craftex still exists, and it looks like he still has descendants on the payroll with Robert and Terry Blum listed as executives with the company.  The mill has since moved from Kensington but the building still exists according to WorkshopOfTheWorld.com which has the whole story of it’s operation.

Mr Blum seemed to leave quite a legacy to his profession, and I might say was a little bit of Renaissance man.  He was a trustee of the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences.  He wrote the three books about looms and textiles.  And just for good measure he banged another book out about William Penn with information he gleamed from his private library collection.  He must have been a riot at parties.

[link] Craftex Mills entry at Workshop of the World

[link] Books By Herman Bloom at Library Thing

[link] Blumhaven library’s collection list at the state archives

The information in this post was compiled with the help of Debbie Klak, current member and former president of the Historical Society of Frankford.  Sources include the archives of the historical society and her recollections.

HSF collects, preserves and presents the history of Northeast Philadelphia and the region. Recognizing the neighborhood of Frankford as the historic and geographic gateway to the region, HSF documents and interprets the history of the people, places, events and traditions of the greater Northeast Philadelphia area and serves as an advocate for the preservation of the region’s historic resources. Through its collections and programs HSF provides opportunities for its members, the surrounding community, and the general public to explore and appreciate the history of Northeast Philadelphia and its place in the world. Check out other posts in our series here.