Insurance Records & Ownership Data

Insurance records from Mutual Assurance and the Franklin Fire Insurance Company provide extensive, if occasionally illegible record of historic structures built in 18th and 19th Century Philadelphia. In addition, the Philadelphia Historical Commission's records for Almond / Kenilworth Street often contain record of ownership and miscellaneous notes. What follows below is an excerpt from several surveys and ownership records of Almond Street properties. Together, this information provides a view to the kinds of structures built and a sense of their age and history and can provide a starting point for further research.

Click on a property along the south side of Almond / Kenilworth Street to view detail.

140 Almond St. - 1810 Frame Messuage

140 Almond St. - Mutual Assurance Policy #5820 (Oct 1844)
John J Ridgeway House –
70 SS Almond (140 Kenilworth) Bet Front & 2nd

1915 converted to an art store
3 story brick house, 15x36
1st level – 2 rooms

- Neat mantle
- Washboards
- Closet
- Windows cased
Other room with:
- Washboards
- Windows cased
- Occupied as a Taylor shop and clothing store
- 1 plain square bulk window, 25 lights, 9x15 glass folding in boxes
- Covered by plain hanging pilasters
- Whole surmounted by neat architrave frieze, cornice, jamb and pilasters
Entry –
- Halfway washboard
2nd Story – 2 rooms
- Neat mantle
- Washboards
- Closet
- Windows cased

3rd story – 2 rooms

- Finished similar to 2nd

Garret – 2 rooms

- Plaster
- Trap door
- Cedar shingle roof
- Tin gutters & conductors
- Brick cornices
- Battlements
- 2 dormer windows each 12 lights, 9x11 glass, 1 arched
Between rooms = 3 flights open newell, cherry handrail stairs
- Plain brackets
- Turned balusters

Kitchen below

- Plain mantle
- Dresser
- Washboards
- Closet
- Windows cased
- Floors = narrow heart pine
- Close straight stairs
- 2nd floor – narrow heart pine, other floors = narrow white pine
- 10x12 glass
- 9” partition stud / board partition
East – 2 story frame
West – 3 story brick