| Architectural historians often find insurance surveys to
be a very important source when compiling the construction history of a building.
In the case of the Carriage House, two such surveys have been found, copied, and
deposited in the "International House" folder of the Information Files collection
at the University Archives. The first of these is Policy #28433 of the
Philadelphia Contributionship, issued on 16 December 1925. It contains of photograph
of Carriage House, a floor plan of the building, and a description of its use.
The structure was two stories high, rectangular in shape, fifty-seven feet long
by thirty-three feet deep. Though its back wall stood on the property line of
Irving Street, the Carriage House faced south, toward the rear of 3905 Spruce
Street. It was built of brick, with a brick cornice. Its roof was both hipped
and flat. The roofing materials were slate and tin. By 1925 much of the first
floor was used as an automobile garage; the remainder for the storage of "wood
for kindling." On the second floor was a "janitor's dwelling," with a coal range
and a gas stove. In June 1935 the policy was amended, stating that the
"former garage section [was] to be changed in July into a bake shop and meat storage
of a caterer, who has a storehouse for canned goods and provisions in [the] adjoining
building and which communicates with this Building in 1st [floor] only. Janitor
still in 2nd. Old stalls are to be rmovedand place for 2 cars arranged." It is
not clear that this alteration ever took place, for in May 1943 the same Contributionship
employee noted that the Carriage House was "now a dwelling and garage." The
second survey is Policy #11,032 of the Mutual Assurance Company of Philadelphia,
issued on 9 August 1935. It is less informative, as it focuses almost entirely
on the main house at 3905 Spruce Street. It does contain, however, a floor plan
of the Carriage House, showing the same fifty-seven foot by thirty-three foot
dimensions described in the Contributionship policy. The Mutual Assurance Company
policy was cancelled on 27 July 1960, shortly after International House moved
to Center City and the University purchased the Spruce Street property. |
