John C. Bell House

John Cromwell Bell, Sr. was born in Elders Ridge, Indiana County, Pennsylvania in 1861. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1884 with honors and gave the class speech on graduation day. Before John Sr. served as the state's Attorney General, he held the office of District Attorney of Philadelphia County. John Sr. argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, both of which he won for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Besides returning to his law practice, the former attorney general was a university trustee for U. Penn. by 1919.

The wife of the John Sr., Mrs. Fleurette de Benneville Bell, was very ill in October 1915 at the family's home on 22nd and Locust, according to a newspaper article, about a year after an operation. Mrs. Bell recovered but suffered a relapse the following summer at the Bell's country home in Radnor, and returned to Philadelphia in early September; she died at home on September 24th, 1916. Her estate of $70,000 was left to her husband and two sons.

One son of John Sr. and Fleurette, John Bell, Jr., was born in 1892 and went to school at the Episcopal Academy. John Jr. married Sarah A. Baker in St. Asaph's Church in June 1918. In August 1917, John Jr. had been appointed an assistant in the office of the City Solicitor, John P. Connelly; the recent U. of Pennsylvania law graduate lived in the 22nd Street home. He is one of few men to serve in all three branches of Pennsylvania government - Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

John Jr.'s younger brother, Bert Bell, served overseas in World War I; the Sergeant returned to the U.S. in March 1919 on the ship George Washington. Bert announced that he was well, and anxious to return to his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In his last term at school before enlisting, he had been elected captain of the football team, and was hoping to return to the sport as well.

John Sr. was the only Bell family member residing in the home on South 22nd Street in 1930; the house was valued at $61,000. The 68-year-old widower and lawyer shared the house with six servants: John Scharf (chauffeur, age 42), Paul Seal (butler, 40), Kate Madden (cook, 53), Mary Rafferty (maid, 33), Nellie McGettigen (waitress, 27). and Hugh Prior (gardener, 21). John Sr. passed away on December 29th 1935.

The John C. Bell House was designed by Horace Trumbauer. The three sections of the building facing 22nd street feature slightly projecting outer sections and a central entrance section. First floor tripartite windows on the outer sections are topped by an arch with a projecting keystone; the second-story windows were double-hung, topped by marble medallion arches, with cast iron balconies below, to resemble French doors. A mid-twentieth century recessed bay was added onto the north end of the building to provide a fire stairway; this bay is accessed by a gate along the sidewalk. The slate hipped roof building above a terra cotta cornice also faces Locust Street, with three window bays on each of the three stories, topped by one dormer window. The house was converted into apartments by the new owners, Anna and Elizabeth Kaneff, in 1944. A tragic accident occurred at the John C. Bell House in 2014 when a third-floor fire escape landing collapsed, resulting in one death and two serious injuries.

Anonymous. "John C. Bell's Wife Ill; Condition Reported Grave." Harrisburgh Telegraph (Harrisburgh, PA) October 15th 1915. 19-19.

Anonymous. "Mrs. Bell Suffers Relapse." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) September 3rd 1916. Night Extra ed., 3-3.

Anonymous. "Mrs. Bell's Will Probated." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) November 19th 1916. Night Extra ed., 3-3.

Anonymous. "John C. Bell, Jr., Gets City Position." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) August 20th 1917. Final ed., 2-2.

Anonymous. "Smart Wedding in St. Asaph's Church." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) June 29th 1918. Postscript sec, 9-9.

Anonymous. "University Trustee Attacks his Critics." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) June 29th 1918. Night Extra ed., 6-6.

Anonymous. "Got on Army Ship. How is a Secret. John C. Bell Won't Tell...." Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) March 26th 1919. Night Extra ed.,9-9.

Bromley. G. W. Philadelphia Atlas. G.W. Bromley. Digitized and geo-rectified by Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network. 1910.

Dowling, Elizabeth M.. NRHP Nomination of John C. Bell House. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1980.

Gaines, Michael. John Cromwell Bell Sr., Memorial 126625934, Find A Grave. March 20th 2014. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126625934/john-cromwell-bell.

Griffith, John "J-Cat". John Cromwell Bell, Jr. , Memorial 8052681, Find A Grave. November 2nd 2003. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8052681/john-cromwell-bell.

NBC10 Staff and Wire Reports. Rittenhouse Square fire escape collapses. 3 hurt, WHYY PBS NPR. January 12th 2014. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://whyy.org/articles/rittenhouse-square-fire-escape-collapses-3-hurt/.

U.S. Census. Household of John C. Bell [Sr.] at 229 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia District 293, Pennsylvania, Dwelling 70, Family 97. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1930.