Moore Brothers

7350 Zimmerman Avenue, Pennsauken, New Jersey (attribution)

1892 | Residence | Extant

“Parker…has furnished all the plans in detail for the operation of the Moore Brothers during the present building season. These are of quite a varied nature, introducing many new features of art, ornamentation and general comfort to dwelling houses.” (October 26, 1892)

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The notice that Minerva had “furnished all the plans in detail for the operation of the Moore Brothers during the present building season” appeared in the October 26 issue of the Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide. The structures were touted as being, “of quite a varied nature, introducing many new features of art, ornamentation and general comfort to dwelling houses.” While no location is given for the building activities of the Moore Brothers, there were eponymous operations active in Atlantic City, Bridgeton, and the area of Camden, New Jersey (but remarkably – given the ubiquity of the name – none are to be found in Philadelphia). The crew working out of Camden appears to be the most likely candidate to be employing Minerva: that outfit is known to have been building a substantial development of rowhouses on Pearl Street in Camden (between 7th and 8th Streets), as well several “fine new dwelling[s]” in the community of “Delair” (now Pennsauken) situated on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River.  

 The house built for Killam E. Bennett (1865-1933) at the corner of Zimmerman Avenue and Curtis Avenues, was under construction in September 1892 – just a month before the notice of Minerva’s activities appeared. Bennett was the operator of a large lumber supply business in Camden, and while a direct connection between Moore Brothers and Bennett has not been firmly established, the builders were working on Curtis Avenue at the time. This house, and another on the corner of Zimmerman and Derousse Avenues, are closely related in terms of massing and detail to several examples of Minerva’s work, particularly the Nicolls House in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.