118 East Park Road
5 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms
Built between 1913 and 1914? in Colonial revivalist style
Inhabitants
| Names | Years |
|---|---|
| William Wendel Forrest, Ethel Shallcross Rowland Forrest, & Emilie Adelaide Rowland Forrest | fl. 1920–1960 |
| Elmer James Kingsmore & Mabel Caroline Ostheim Kingsmore | c. 1940 |
| Martin Jurist | 1947–1948 |
| Maurice Carl Larson & Neva Frances Riggs Larson | c. 1950 |
| Mrs. Marjorie Reese Penman & Miss Jean M. Penman | fl. 1964–1970? |
History
The origin of this house is a mystery to me. In the 1913 atlas, where the property should have been is shown to be a dirt path leading to the property of 120 East Park Road. However, 120 Park Road doesn't seem to have existed until at the very earliest 1930, and it isn't present on any census prior to 1950 (that I could find). This makes me think at the very earliest, it had to have been built between 1913 and 1914, its first mention, and that means that 120 East Park Road was replaced with another home later on. This theory could work, as it was listed for sale in 1914.
1920 census: Cotton broker W. Wendell is living with his family.
| Name | Age | Relation to Head of Household |
|---|---|---|
| W. Wendell Forest | 34 | Head |
| Ethel S. Forest | 31 | Wife |
| Mary Louise Forest | 8 | Daughter |
| Maxwell Forest | 5 | Son |
In 1928, the home suffered a 3?-alarm fire that resulted from the short circuiting of the electrical wiring on the 3rd floor. It destroyed $10,000 in tapestries held by the family since they were wool merchants.
West Chester Daily Local News, January 24th, 1928, page 1 & Philadelphia Inquirer, January 24th, 1928, page 3
1930 census: Textile broker W. Wendel is living with his family, and Marylander maid of African-American descent. The home is incorrectly listed as 211 East Park
| Name | Age | Relation to Head of Household |
|---|---|---|
| W. Wendel Forrest | 44 | Head |
| Ethel S. Forrest | 40 | Wife |
| Marylouise Forrest | 18 | Daughter |
| Maxwell R. Forrest | 16 | Son |
| Mary Jackson | 32 | Servant |
1940 census: Wendell family is living along with his tenant, salesman Elmer and his wife.
| Name | Age | Relation to Head of Household |
|---|---|---|
| Wendell Forrest | 54 | Head |
| Ethel Forrest | 51 | Wife |
| Elmer Kingsmore | 48 | Head |
| Mabel Kingsmore | 51 | Wife |
In 1942, Ethel passed away. She was a devoted member of St. Andrew's Methodist Church and the community.
Philadelphia Inquirer, November 17th, 1942, page 20
Martin Jurist, a restaurant proprietor died during residency in the home in 1948. His obituary says that he had moved a year ago from New York, but a report matching his age from 1940 marks his arrest for operating a gambling pinball machine at one of his restaurants.
Philadelphia Inquirer, February 20th, 1940, page 17 & February 8th, 1948, page 43
1950 census: Wendell is living in the home with his second wife, who happens to be the sister of Ethel, as well as tenant sales engineer Maurice and his wife living upstairs.
| Name | Age | Relation to Head of Household |
|---|---|---|
| Wendell Forrest | 55 | Head |
| Emily Forrest | 55 | Wife |
| Maurice Larson | 43 | Head |
| Neva Larson | 45 | Wife |
Forrest died in 1960, and the house passed to his son Maxwell, the executor, who sued a blasting firm in 1962 for restroying part of his stairs as a result of demolitions in the neighborhood.
Philadelphia Inquirer, September 8th, 1960, page 8 & Delaware County Daily Times, February 10th, 1962, page 10
Around 1964, the home was sold to the Penman family. Marjorie, the widow of the family, died in 1970, and by 1985, the home was sold for $129,000.
