117 Elfreth's Alley

Gilbert had married Quaker blacksmith William Parker in 1732, but by 1749 he found himself in a desperate financial situation and, disowned by the Friends, was forced to sell the property that same year to Thomas Maule.  Maule rented House 117 to various tenants, including Cophy Douglas, a free Black tailor, and his new wife Phoebe in 1779.  The couple had just been married at Old Swede’s Church.

During the 1820s or 30s the building was altered from its original appearance to its current appearance.  When first constructed, House 117 probably looked similar to House 119.  Scars from a pent eave, or small roof between the first and second floors, can be seen just above the front door. The building was also raised about two feet at this time and finished with a fashionable brick cornice instead of the more traditional wood cornice.  This addition can be seen by looking at the change in the brickwork just above the second story windows on the front elevation.

One of the most frequently asked questions about the Alley is whether or not the houses are passed down from generation to generation.  For most of the houses this isn’t the case, but House 117 is an exception.  In 1962 Florence Reardon was celebrated in local newspapers because she had lived on Elfreth’s Alley for all but 5 of her 86 years.  She and her husband raised all of their children, and even a few grandchildren in House 117.  The house left the Reardon family for a few years, but was repurchased by a fifth generation Reardon descendant in 2001.