DO You Know

that Frankford Will Soon Have a New. "I Museum?

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One of the trea sured .eiMbits of the Historical Society of. Fra1kfQ rd is an etching which hangs. in the staircase wall. It is only a modest frame house No. 4270 Orchard Street--but it has the distinction of- being the first house f'n this country on Which.4Buibling Association wortgge was, secured. On January 3, 1831, a number of well known citizens of Fianf rd nwt :t Thomas Sidebotham's public house, now No. 4219 Fraukford avenue, anJ formed the first Building Association in the United States, the Oxford Provident Bnflding Association. The .purpose of the organization, as set forth In the call to the meeting, was to enable working men to build or purchase homes. The town of Frankford w-ts a village 0 about two thousand jnhfibitrnt. It Was even then, a manufacturing community and it was very easy for the working man to spend a large Part of his weekly wage on his way home, and have nothing to show for it. Forty members signed the constitution, enrolled their names, and subsribd for shares. Thirteen were. elected Trustees and in furtherance. of their unselfi sh purpose, they served without compensation, and were even fined 25 cents fdr every meeting - missed (except In case of il lness or domestic nfflictlon). The Secretary and Treasurer were fin~ ed 50 cents for absence, al so any member appearing at a. meeting intoxicated was fi ned. It is to th credit of the comniunity that no mention- of the latter delinquency is noted on the record, but many were the 25 (cut fines Imposed ! It is interesting to note the reservation that no loans were to be made for building houses at a greater distance than five miles from I'rankford. The constitution and by-laws, preserved in full in the minute book, another - valued possession of the Society, apl}arntly served as fl model upon which 11 later Building Assockitions Shave been constru'ted, the points of difference between them and that of a iiodrn Buildlug Association are few. . The first president was Isaac WhiteIok, a lumber merchant, who served many sears as burgess. The rst seeretary was Isaac Shalicross, a .survey or who made the first plan of the town's streets. He later became surveyor for Phil adelphia County. The fi rst treasurer was Samuel Pllling, one of Prankford's early manufacturers of ealko. The secretary received fifteen dollars a year for his services though it was increased to twenty dollars a few years later. The Trustees were Isaac WhiteJock, Jeremiah Horroeks, Peter Buekius Jacob Deal, James Wright, Joshua Cooke, Jesse Y. Castor, Alfred C. Jones Abram H. Duffield, Thomas Pendlebury Henry P. Shoh, Thomas Sidebotham, and Francis Deal. The list of stockholders includes names of men who served our community well in every movement for the public good, an d whose descendants are still active in Building Association and civic affairs. The Building Association movement, or the Building Club, as it Was then and Is still called, spread throughout the United States directly from th e seed sown in Frankfm-d, increasing In popularity and usefulness with each - succeeding year. The United States League was organized in 1893. Its slogan, "The American Home, the Safeguard or American Liberti es," became very popular. Marking the one hundredth anniver sary f the founding the Oxford ProvIdent membersa ef the United States League and delegates from England, came to rankforcl in the summer of 1931 and an appropriate marker was placed on the little house on O"ehar'l street and a boulder with a plate attahed was unveil ed fn - Womrth Park. directly opposite Thomas Sidehotham's public house. The l,oiilder was imve,ie-1 by four small descendants of the founders. On Friday, October 17th, at 2.30 p. m. another important eerenionv will be held in ur town. 4278 Orchard street will be dedicated as a Building & Loan 'hr'ne. It has been restored and vll be used as a museum. Delegates atte'idine. the convention of the Pennsylvania Saving and Loan League in Philadelphia will come in buses to attend the exercises. Bvery Frankfnrdian should show his lntest he attending and by vlsItln the Hitorieai So'iety of Frankford afte the exercises. The original minute book and other possessions of the founders of the First- Building Association In the United States will be on display.
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