Elfreth's Alley, variously called Elfrith's, Elfrit's, Elfrye's or Elfrety's Alley back then (anciently, the letter "y" sometimes denoted the sound "th", hence the modern mispronunciation of "Ye Olde" as "Yee Olde"), began about 1702 as a cartway from Front to 2nd Street. It still runs only from Front to 2nd, and is one of the best-preserved 18th century streets in the world. Its residents claim, too, that it is the oldest continually occupied residential street in the country. The website of the Elfreth's Alley Association is here.
Oddly, Biddle abandoned his system of alternating street numbers, odd on the north side, even on the south side, for this small alley.
A lot of the non-directory information below is from a booklet put out by the Elfreth's Alley Association.
(1785) #1, Dominick, Widow
No one is listed in this place in the 1790 census, which ends with Elizabeth Collins next
door, or in the 1791 directory, or in the 1796 Prospect. Note that Barbara Dominick had moved to #25 (1791 numbering) by 1790.
(modern) #102. Does not survive.
(1785) #2, Collins, Widow
(1785) Collins, Elizabeth, Mrs., Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Collins, Elizabeth, widow. Lived here with two other free white females.
(1791) #35 Elfrith’s Alley, Collins, Elizabeth, widow
(1796 Prospect) #35, Mary Wilson, Widow, Boarding-house
(modern) #104. Does not survive.
(1785) #4, Webb, John
(1785) Webb, John, cabinetmaker, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Stewart, Archibald, mariner. Lived here with one boy under 16 and two free
white females.
(1791) #34 Elfrith’s Alley, Stewart, Archibald, mariner
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] Gilbert Gaw, chairmaker
(modern) #106. The booklet (see above) says that this and #108 next door were built as
a pair between 1725 and 1750, by one Thomas Wells, a shipwright who probably built them as
rental properties.
The Elfreth's Alley Association believes this house was demolished in the 1950s.
(1785) #5, Wilkins, Widow
(1790 census) Becknall, Peter, labourer. Lived here with one boy under 16 and three
free white females.
(1791) #33 Elfrith’s Alley, Becknall, Peter, labourer
(1796 Prospect) #33, Peter Bicknell, Bottler
(modern) #108. Built between 1725 and 1750; see notes for #106. The property was sold to
a hatter, Samuel Fisher, in whose family it
remained until 1827. From 1780 to 1783 the tenant was one Geah Chattwick, a sea captain
employed by Stephen Girard.
(1785) #6, Rice, Widow
(1790 census) Bromstone, John, pewterer. Lived here with two other men of 16 or over, no
boys, and three free white females.
(1791) #32 Elfrith’s Alley, Brunstrum, John, pewterer, also at 133 N. 2nd St.
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] Elizabeth Brunstron, W[idow], Gentlewoman
(modern) #110. Built 1757-1762 by Thomas Patterson, and sold in 1762 to widow Mary
Robbins. She lived here until 1774, when it was rented, the booklet says, to joiner John
Webb, who had been partners with Daniel Trotter and who "moved around the corner to Front
Street the next year," after which it was "rented to sea captains until the British occupation."
The booklet may be correct that Webb once lived here, but he was clearly living next door in
1791. The booklet correctly notes that Brunstrum lived here in the 1790s, and adds that
his fellow pewterer Parks Boyd also lived here in that decade.
(1785) #7, Wilson, John
(1785) Wilson, John, boatbuilder, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Webb, John, joyner. Lived here with one other man of 16 or over, three
boys of under 16 (some may have been apprentices), and three free white females.
(1791) #31 Elfrith’s Alley, Webb, John, joiner, also at 80 N. Front St.
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] Simeon Mason, French Taylor
(modern) #112. Built 1757-1762 by Thomas Patterson, and sold in 1762 to Christopher
Sanderson. After he died his widow Mary tried to sell the houses (he also bought #114), but was unable to find
buyers, and so rented them to ship captains until the British occupation (1777-78). "In
1779 Joseph and Benjamin Trotter, the older and younger brothers of the Daniel Trotter who
lived in #114, rented the house. Rooming here in 1780 was John Watson, the carver, and one
John Turner." In 1781-82 Eleazer Levy, a New York merchant, was living here, and by 1809 a
cordwainer, Jacob Rodgers, lived here.
(1785) #8, Trotter, Daniel
(1785) Trotter, Daniel, cabinetmaker, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Trotter, Daniel, joyner. Lived here with three other men of 16 or over,
six boys of under 16 (some were probably apprentices), and five free white females.
(1791) #30 Elfrith’s Alley, Trotter, Daniel, joiner, also at 61 N. Water St.
(1796 Prospect) #30, Jacob Vance, French Citizen; Francis Vance, French Citizen
(modern) #114. Built 1757-1762 by Thomas Patterson, and sold in 1762 to Christopher
Sanderson. After he died his widow Mary tried to sell the houses (he also bought #114), but was unable to find
buyers, and so rented this one to Captain David Spain, who lived here until 1774. In that year
Daniel Trotter bought it and moved in "with his wife of one year, Rebecca Connaroe." They lived here until
1795, when they sold it to Francis Vance, a French emigre. From then until the 1850s it was
owned by French families.
(1785) #9, Taylor, Benjamin
(1785) Taylor, Enoch, bricklayer, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
The two men were brothers.
(1790 census) Taylor, Benjamin, brick layer. Lived here with three other men of 16 or
over, two boys of under 16, and six free white females.
(1790 census) Taylor, Benjamin, brick layer. Lived here with two other men of 16 or
over, six (amazingly) boys of under 16, and four free white females.
(1791) #29 Elfrith’s Alley, Taylor, Benjamin, bricklayer
(1791) #29 Elfrith’s Alley, Taylor, Enoch, bricklayer
(1796 Prospect) #29, Benjamin Taylor, Bricklayer; Anne Taylor, Widow, Boarding-house
(modern) #116. The booklet states that a frame house and blacksmith shop were here for
much of the 18th century. The frame house was built in 1761 by one Edward Matthews, a
blacksmith, and, the booklet's author theorizes, was probably torn down during the British
occupation of 1777-78 for firewood. (This seems a somewhat shaky theory, as it would probably
have been more work than it was worth to tear it down for firewood, unlike the fence around
St. Peter's churchyard.) The current building, states the booklet, was built by the Taylor
brothers in 1785, with Enoch living in the rear part and Benjamin in the front. Enoch
died of yellow fever in 1794, and his widow Ann ran a boardinghouse here. Benjamin rented
rooms to chairmakers and carpenters.
(1785) #10, Toy, Elias
(1785) Toy, Elias, grocer, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Taylor, Henry, printer. Lived here with two other men of 16 or over, one
boy of under 16, and no women or girls.
(1791) #28 Elfrith’s Alley, Taylor, Henry, printer
(1796 Prospect) #28, Jacob Fry, Labourer
(modern) #118. Built 1753-1760 by Richard Hall, a carpenter and son-in-law of the
Andrew Edge who built #120 next door. In 1765 he was operating the Black Horse Tavern in
Black Horse Alley below Market Street, and during this time was renting this house out. "Moses
Mordecai, an original member of the Mikveh Israel congregation, was living here in 1769. In
1792 Jacob Fry, a blacksmith who had been living across the Alley in #121 since 1787, moved in
and lived here until his death in about 1805."
This house is one of the best remaining in the Alley, having early if not original
panelling on the bottom floor.
(1785) #11 Water St., Trotter, Widow
(1785) Trotter, Margaret, shopkeeper, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd.
MacPherson's printer used "ditto" quite a bit to save type and ink, and probably inserted
another Daniel Trotter listing (#164 Water Street) between the first Daniel Trotter listing
(#8 Elfreth's Alley) and the listing for the Widow Trotter (#11 ditto), but without thinking
about how this insertion changed the meaning of "ditto" for the Widow's address.
(1790 census) Tweed, Christian [sic], widow. Lived here with one boy under 16.
(1791) #27 Elfrith’s Alley, Tweed, Christiana, widow
(1796 Prospect) #27, Joseph Prior, Grocer
(modern) #120. "This house was built between 1724 and 1728 and at the same time as #122,
by Andrew Edge, a tanner and one of the founders of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia.
... Edge probably never lived here, but his daughter Susanna and her husband Richard Hall,
a house carpenter, occupied the house after their marriage in 1745. Nine years after Edge's
death in 1748, this house became the property of his daughter Mary who had married
Nathaniel Russel, a mariner. After his death in 1759, his widow rented the house to
various tenants including a silversmith, a merchant and a cooper."
(1785) #12, Alexander, John
(1790 census) Preston, William, house carpenter. Lived here with one boy under 16 and
three free white females.
(1791) #26 Elfrith’s Alley, Preston, William, house carpenter
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] William Preston, Board Inspector
(modern) #122. Built 1724-1728 by Thomas Potts; see notes for #120. "None of the
Potts ever lived in #122; they used it as a rental property. In 1762 the house was sold
to a shipwright, Joseph Hall, who occupied it until 1773. Between houses #122 and #120
there is a gossip door. A gossip door is actually two doors that open into each other creating
a passageway between homes. Unlocking the door from the inside in both houses allowed the
residents to converse or visit each other without stepping outside. Number 122 and #120
are the oldest structures on the Alley today."
(1785) #13, Cohen, J. Jacob
(1790 census) Dominick, Barbary, spinster. Lived here with two other free white females.
(1791) #25 Elfrith’s Alley, Dominick, Barbara, nurse
(1796 Prospect) #25, Johnson Beasely, Trader; William Preston, Board Inspector (though
Preston's appearance here is almost certainly an error; he lived next door at #26 in 1791, and
probably did in 1796 as well, since there is no #26 in the Prospect)
(modern) #124. This is "The Windsor Chairmaker's Home," built by Jeremiah Elfreth
bewtween 1740 and 1762. He sold it in 1762 to Israel Cassel, a shipwright employed by the
merchant firm of James & Drinker to repair their ships. In 1795 chairmaker Gilbert Gaw was
the tenant, and in 1796 the heirs of Israel Cassel sold the property to John B. Ackley,
a maker of Windsor chairs. Today it's owned by the Elfreth's Alley Association.
(1785) #14, Milton, Sarah
(1785) Wikton, Sarah, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Mertoon, Sarah, spinster. Lived here with one other free white female--
probably Mary Smith-- and one man 16 or over.
(1791) #24 Elfrith’s Alley, Mertoon, Sarah, spinster
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] Elizabeth Carr, Mantua-maker; Benjamin Lodor, Blockmaker
(modern) #126. "The Mantua Maker's House." This, like #124, was built between 1740
and 1762 by Jeremiah Elfreth. He sold it in 1762 to two women, Mary Smith and Sarah Melton,
who lived here the rest of their lives. Sarah Melton died second, in 1794, and the
property was occupied by Elizabeth Carr with a dwelling at the rear rented by blockmaker
Benjamin Lodor. A black- and whitesmith, James Sleeper, bought the property in 1813.
(1785) #15, Dilkinson, William
(1785) Atikenson, William, ship builder, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Chandler, Elizabeth, spinster. Lived here with one boy under 16 and three
free white females besides herself.
(1791) #23 Elfrith’s Alley, Chandler, Elizabeth, spinster
(1796 Prospect) #23, Robert Doughty, coppersmith
(modern) #128. William Atkinson bought this lot in 1740 and insured the house on it in
1761, which dates the house to between those dates. By the late 19th century it (or at
least its facade) had been
demolished and the property turned into part of a stove factory.
(1785) #16, Syddons, Joseph
(1790 census) Snyder, Jacob, labourer. Lived here with two boys under 16 and two free
white females.
(1791) #22 Elfrith’s Alley, Snyder, Jacob, labourer
(1796 Prospect) #22, Catherine McLeod, Widow, Boarding-house
(modern) #130. Built between 1741 and 1749 by Adam Clampfer, who lived around the
corner on 2nd Street; on the rear of that lot, which adjoined his Alley lot, he had stables
and a large stock of hay to feed the horses he boarded. Widow Catharine McCloud ran a
boardinghouse from this property between 1792 and 1799, during which time it was sold to
pewterer William Will, who had married the granddaughter of Adam Clampfer and his widow.
(1785) #17, Powers, John
(1785) Bowers, John, labourer, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd\
(1790 census) Clampferr, Adam, hatter. Lived here with one boy under 16, one man 16 or
over (other than Adam himself) and five free white females.
(1791) #21 Elfrith’s Alley, Clampfer, Adam, hatter
(1796 Prospect) #21, Adam Clampffer, Deputy Sheriff
(modern) #132. Built between 1741 and 1749 by Adam Clampfer, who also built #130 and
the original store building at #134. These were occupied for years by tenants, but in
1788 Clampfer's son Adam Clampfer, Jr., moved into this building, with his hatter's shop
next door at #134.
(1785) #18, no listing
(1791) #20 Elfrith's Alley, no listing
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to building] Caleb Birchall, Hatter
(modern) #134. This is probably #134, the site of the Clampfer store and tavern,
built by Adam Clampfer Sr. between 1741 and 1755, and demolished by 1785 when they
were taxed only for an empty lot. In 1790 Jacob Schreiner bought the western five feet
of the lot to increase his alleyway, and the present three-story building was built
sometime after 1791, which explains why there's no listing either in 1785 or 1791. A building
of some sort seems to have been built by 1796 when Caleb Birchall was there.
(1785) #19, Tustan, John
(1790 census) Bradnax, Sarah, schoolmistress. Lived here as the sole member of her
household, so she probably rented a room from Henry Sharp.
(1790 census) Sharp, Henry, labourer. Lived here with one free white female and one
boy under 16.
(1791) #19 Elfrith’s Alley, Bradnax, Sarah, schoolmistress
(1791) #19 Elfrith’s Alley, Sharp, Henry, labourer
(1796 Prospect) #19, Joanna Hill, Widow, Mantua-maker
Oddly, this house's number remained the same.
(modern) #136. This house was torn down some time in the 1940s after October 1946.
(1785) #20, Gray, Widow
(1785) Gear, Mary, schoolmistress, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Gray, Mary, schoolmistress. Lived here with two other free white females.
(1791) #18 Elfrith’s Alley, Gray, Mary, schoolmistress
(1796 Prospect) #18, Mary Greg, Widow, Schoolmistress; and James Morris, House Carpenter
(modern) #138. This house was torn down some time in the 1940s.
(1785) #21, Stalks, Samuel
(1785) Stall, Jacob, painter, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Hunter, Mary, spinster. Lived here with one boy under 16 and three other
free white females.
(1791) #17 Elfrith’s Alley, Hunter, Mary, spinster
(1796 Prospect) #17, Mathew Cline, Sea Captain
(modern) #139. Built by house carpenter Isaac Zane before 1772, when he sold it to
James Hunter, a schoolmaster. In 1778 Hunter rented it to Josiah Siddons, a house carpenter from
New Jersey, but after Hunter died in 1789 his widow Mary lived here until she died in 1792. It
was left to her daughter, also named Mary, who had married sea captain Matthew Cline.
(1785) #25, Hill, Widow
(1785) Hill, Jane, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Elpeth, Josiah, joyner. Lived here with one boy under 16 and two free white
females.
(1791) #16 Elfrith’s Alley, Elfrith, Josiah, joiner, also at 160 N. Front St.
(1796 Prospect) #16, Rachel Elfreth, Widow, Gentlewoman
(modern) #137. Jeremiah Elfreth owned the lot and left it to his grandson, joiner
Josiah Elfreth. He built the house on it some time before 1785 and was obviously living here
by 1790, when the census taker put him down as Josiah Elpeth. He died of yellow fever in
1793, leaving his widow Rachel (Cathral) Elfreth and their two young sons. They lived here '
until Rachel's death in 1802, and Rachel's mother then came to care for the children.
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] John Grant, Grocer
(modern) #133-135. There were no buildings on this lot until 1796, when Jeremiah Elfreth's
grandson built a frame shop here. He sold it in 1805 to one John Angue, a distiller, who
replaced the frame shop with the present brick buildings.
(1785) no listing.
(1790 census) Weaver, John, painter. Lived here with one boy under 16 and three free
white females.
(1791) #14 Elfrith’s Alley, Weaver, John, painter
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] Adam Rees, Shoemaker
(modern) #131. In 1795 Daniel Trotter sold this lot and a building on it to Benjamin
Lodor, a blockmaker and carpenter, and a lot and building next door to Benjamin's brother John
(See #129). These "tenements" as they were called are supposed to have been the original
buildings, but they were torn down by the Lodors to build as rental properties the present
houses in 1797-98. Other tenants besides Weaver included chairmaker Gilbert Gaw, who had
lived in #106 and #124.
(1785) #26, Hoffner, Philip
(1790 census) Hartnot, Philip, labourer. Lived here with one other man age 16 or over
and no fewer than seven free white females.
(1791) #13 Elfrith’s Alley, Haffner, Philip, labourer
(1796 Prospect) #13, John B. Ackley, Windsor Chair-maker
(modern) #129. The original house was built between 1713 and 1727 by William Carter.
Alexander Lindsay bought the property from #121 to #133, but drowned while trying to cross
the Delaware in 1730. His daughters married brothers John and Daniel Coats, and John, a
brickmaker, lived here until 1762. From 1794 until the original house was demolished in
1797, it was occupied by Windsor chairmaker John B. Ackley, who bought #124 Elfreth's Alley
in 1797. John and Benjamin Lodor then built the present structure in 1797-98, and John
then sold it to Christina Pechin, who also owned #109 and #111.
#12 Elfreth's Alley
(modern) #127. There was no building here until 1799 when Daniel Trotter built another
shop here. The present building was built after 1810.
(1796 Prospect) #11, Daniel Trotter, Joiner, his Shop
(modern) #125. There was no building here until c.1796, when Daniel Trotter built a frame
shop. This was used by his son-in-law, Ephraim Haines, after Trotter died in 1800. The
present building was built after 1836.
(1785) #29, Binder, Widow
(1785) Binder, Barbary, Elfrith's Alley between Arch and Race
(1790 census) Mahen, William, sadler. Lived here with one boy under 16 and two free white
females.
(1791) #10 Elfrith’s Alley, Mahen, William, saddler
(1796 Prospect) #10, Marianne Faure, French Lady
(modern) #123. The brick kitchen built here in 1741 is probably the middle section of
the present structure; the back and front were probably built by Barbara Kennedy Binder Peters
Messer's last husband, baker Philip Messer, between their marriage in 1795 and his death in
1805.
(1785) #30, Rhore, Frederick
(1785) Rihor, Frederick, whitesmith, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Fry, Jacob, blacksmith. Lived here with three boys under 16 and two free
white females.
(1790 census) Wilson, Abraham, taylor. Lived here with one free white female; he may
have simply sublet a room from Jacob Fry.
(1791) #9 Elfrith’s Alley, Fry, Jacob, blacksmith
(1791) #9 Elfrith’s Alley, Wilson, Abraham, taylor
(1796 Prospect) [no number then affixed to house] John B. Landry, French Taylor
(modern) #121. Esther Meyer rented the land from 1779 to 1782, and bought it in
1783, when she built a small house that she rented out. She died in 1809 and the land was
sold to George Peddle, a cooper, who built the present house.
(1785) #31, Moyan, Widow
(1785) Mayer, Hester, shopkeeper, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) McCloud, John, sailmaker. Lived here with three other men of 16 or over,
one boy less than 16, and two free white females.
(1791) #8 Elfrith’s Alley, McCloud, John, sailmaker
(1796 Prospect) #8, Edward Row, Sea Captain; Anthony Wedman, Sea Captain
(modern) #119. This house was built for Thomas Preston between 1737 and 1747. It
was sold in 1757 to Matthias Meyer, a German potter who may have been renting the house next
door. The Elfreth's Alley Association booklet further notes, "In this house in 1770 Meyer's daughter Hannah was married to Reverend John Peter
Gabriel Muhlenberg, the 'Fighting Parson' of Revolutionary fame. After Matthias' death in
1775, his widow Esther continued in the house, living here during the British occupation and
refusing to move to the country."
(1785) #32, Cross, Robert
(1785) Cross, Robert, captain, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Anderson, Ann, widow. Lived here with one other free white female and one
male 16 or older.
(1791) #7 Elfrith’s Alley, Anderson, Ann, widow
(1796 Prospect) #7, Ann Anderson, Widow
(modern) #117. Built before 1749, and maybe as early as 1732 or 1734, it was inherited
by Elizabeth Gilbert in 1734. Her husband, William Parker, sold it to Thomas Maule after her death in 1749.
He rented it to various tenants, one of whom was a free black tailor, Cuff (or Cophy) Douglas, and
his wife Phobe, from 1779 to 1784. The house was purchased in the latter year by sea
captain Robert Richardson Croft or Cross.
(1785) #33, no listing
(1791) #6 Elfrith's Alley, no listing
(modern) #115. This was originally a blacksmith shop, built before 1748; the house here
was not built until after 1804.
(1785) #34, no listing.
(1791) #5 Elfrith's Alley, no listing.
(modern) #113. This was originally a brick stable and coach house built before 1763 by
William Callender, a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. The house was not built until
after 1804, when with the one next door at #115 the land was sold to Ephraim Haines and
his brother-in-law William Trotter.
(1785) #35, no listing
(1791) #3 Elfrith's Alley, no listing.
(modern) #111. This was originally a frame stable built about 1745 by Captain William
Clymer; it was used as a stable until 1797 when it was converted to a shop and rented by
pewterer Parks Boyd, who lived across the Alley in #110. At this time it was owned by
carpenter John Pechin, who lived next door in #109 with his mother from 1781 to 1811. Both
buildings were torn down about 1811 and replaced with the present buildings.
(1785) #36, Pitchin, Widow
(1785) Pidgeon, Mrs., gentlewoman, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Pachroon, Christiana, widow. Lived here with one free white
male over age 16, one under, (either of which could in 1790 have been her son John who
acquired the property in 1797) and one other free white female.
(1791) #2 Elfrith’s Alley, Pechin, Christiana, gentlewoman
(1796 Prospect) [no number affixed] Christiana Peachin, Widow; "Mollier," French Baker
(modern) #109. It was built about 1775-76 and owned by Christopher Pechin and then
his widow Christiana Pechin. In 1780 the famous Philadelphia financier Stephen Girard
lived here for about six months, when he was listed as a shopkeeper. Christopher's children
came of age in 1797 and divided their father's estate; carpenter John Pechin, his son,
got this one and that next door at #111. John lived at #109 with his mother from 1781 to 1811. Both
buildings were torn down about 1811 and replaced with the present buildings.
(1785) #37, Hiltz, George
(1785) Hill, George, hatter, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1790 census) Conkling, Thomas, merchant. Lived here with one free white female.
(1791) #1 Elfrith’s Alley, Conkling, Thomas, merchant
UNKNOWN LOCATION IN 1785:
(1785) Hodgson, Hannah, Elfrith's Alley between Front and 2nd
(1785) Ireland, Anne, Elfrith's Alley between Arch and Race
(1785) #524 2nd Street, Sparhawk, John
(1785) Sparhawk, John, bookseller and druggist, corner of Elfrith's Alley and 2nd
(1791) #107 N. 2nd St., Sparhawk, John, bookseller