During my initial visit with Debbie Klak at the HSofF on Veteran’s Day, we spent a fair amount of time talking about the wealthy families of Frankford. I’m really interested on getting the back stories that go along with the mansions that are still standing. And she would say something like “[so and so] family lived over in the [some house location], it was called [estate name]”. And she did this twice before I stopped her to get clarification and realized that THE RICH PEOPLE WERE NAMING THEIR HOUSES. Being firmly entrenched in the proletariat, I find this so amusing. It’s just like the Vanderbilts and Biltmore. Frankford has Biltmores.
So lets play a game, I have a few houses that were named, let’s start with one that is a recent home of the week back in August that was owned by Henry Blum who owned a jacquard mill in Kensington. What name did this dude give his house? Here’s a hint, his last name(Blum) is in the name.
UPDATE: Through googling and chance, it appears that this fellow’s first name is NOT Henry, it’s Herman.
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.
