Key Facts from This Era
- •Continuous chain of title from 1854
- •1899 modernization: client, address, architects, date proven
- •1911 & 1915: Suffrage activism documented at this address
- •1915-1916: Medical practice proven via directories
- •1995: Historic district designation
I am made of dates as much as brick. I learned the calendar by the weight of footsteps—the day the mason left, the winter the doctor hung a shingle, the spring a tax bill arrived with a principle attached. Here are the moments you can hold up like a lantern and say: it happened here.
Chain of Title: The Core Lines
April 1854: John McCrea (developer) sells 1822 Pine to John Roset, merchant. This anchors the claim that the house was likely new at sale—the first long-term owners taking possession of McCrea's work. The Rosets held the property through 1893, with the house entering trust management after Mary Ann Roset's death in 1880.
June 29, 1893: The Roset estate trustee transfers to Howard Spencer. June 28, 1896: Howard Spencer dies; estate managed by executors Pleasants and McLean. April 3, 1899: Deed passes to Agnes M. Spencer (daughter/heir), who immediately commissions Duhring, Okie & Ziegler for alterations and additions.
The 1899 architect commission—printed in both the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Times—is the turn-of-century modernization anchor. Client, address, architects, date: all provable against this exact threshold.
Life Events at This Address
January 11, 1901: Mrs. Graham Spencer returns to 1822 Pine Street for winter from her Chester County estate. October 27, 1901: Fayette R. Plumb listed at 1822 Pine Street. November 21, 1901: Rolin-Plumb wedding breakfast served at 1822 Pine Street.
December 11, 1904: Mrs. Henry C. Davis and the Misses Davis hold 'At Home' days at 1822 Pine street. August 4, 1905: J.N. Long installs fireplace at 1822 Pine St. for $130—the hearth that still warms gatherings today.
1911: Mrs. Henry C. Davis, of 1822 Pine Street, identified in tax-resistance coverage—suffragists refusing to pay taxes without the vote. January 8, 1915: Miss Martha Davis, 1822 Pine street, selling Equal Franchise Society tickets. May 21, 1918: 'Suddenly, at 1822 Pine St. ... NAOMI LAWTON'—a life ending at this address.
Professional Use
1915: Dr. Damon B. Pfeiffer, 1822 Pine St. (Fellow, College of Physicians). 1916: Stillwell Corson Burns, Surgery—1822 Pine. The medical listings prove the parlor-to-practice adaptability that kept the house in productive use while family life continued above.
The Apartment Era
1922-1952: Five documented property transfers mark the apartment conversion years. The deed abstracts trace ownership changes while the architectural core remained intact. Pragmatic subdivision preserved rather than destroyed—adaptation kept the building occupied, occupation meant maintenance, maintenance meant survival.
Modern Protection
1995: Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential Historic District includes 1822 Pine, formalizing exterior stewardship. The listing protects the streetscape that makes Rittenhouse Square valuable—neighborhood stability that buyers and appraisers recognize.
This dossier stays conservative on claims and generous with proof. Every line ties directly to 1822 Pine Street via deeds, directories, architect notices, obituaries, and compiled research. When someone asks 'Can you prove it?'—these are the moments you can hold up like a lantern.