The Holmesburg Building Association was organized in January, 1842, and closed its business satisfactorily to the members, June 25, 1853. John B. Duff, a lumber counter by trade, was instrumental in organizing the first building society within the compactly built up city of Philadelphia, in the year 1847. The name of the society was the “Kensington Building Association.” The society issued five hundred shares of stock in one series, and wound up its affairs in ten years and two months after it was organized. The first advertisement of any building and loan association, so far as can be ascertained, appeared in the Philadelphia “Public Ledger,” February 5, 1847, and called for a meeting of the “Kensington.” Mr. Duff died in 1883, and a few months before that event he presented to the writer a document now known as “The Old Yellow Poster.” It is the call for the first building society in Old Philadelphia, a copy of which is herewith presented.
Mr. Duff seldom, if ever, held forth in public, but his efficient work was done by taking individual cases and converting them to the benefits of obtaining homes for themselves. Frequently he has been seen on a pile of lumber with chalk in hand, demonstrating a problem in building society arithmetic to converts to this system of saving.
MEETING!
KENSINGTON
BUILDING ASSOCIATION
The Subscribers being desirous of forming an Association for the purpose of assisting the members thereof in the erection of Dwelling Houses, or such other Real Estate as they shall deem most advantageous, have concluded to hold a Meeting for that purpose
ON FRIDAY EVENING, 22D JAN’Y, 1847,
AT 7 O’CLOCK,
At the Kensington Engine Hall,
On Queen Street, above Marlborough St.
Where the objects of the Association will be laid before the Meeting. Citizens generally, are invited to attend.
Ralph Pilling,
Joseph Smith,
John Bierly,
John B. Duff,
Henry Shermer,
John Verdear,
Samuel Wensell,
Samuel T. Hay,
Henry Lane,
Howard Bowman,
Andrew Himes,
Rich’d. Fordham,
David Guyant,
Geo. Fordham,
Henry Kriener,
Abr. P. Eyre,
Ed. W. Gorgas,
Alfred Fitler,
Alb’t T. Eggleton,
Albert Engle,
And. Flanders,
Thomas Bennett,
J. R. Fullerton,
Charles Tryon,
Samuel Parcels,
Edward Owens,
Jacob Jones,
John Nevling,
Henry Mosser,
Geo. Kennerd,
Henry Mercer,
George Mattis,
Michael Collar,
Edward Wester,
Henry Miller,
William Ellis,
John Hearney,
Jos. B. Matlack,
Saml. Biedaman,
J. Shilingburg,
James Hill,
George Cramp,
George Coleman,
John Fordham.
January 21, 1847.
Printed at Boyle’s cheap Printing Establishment, corner of Second and Brown streets.
CALL FOR FIRST BUILDING ASSOCIATION IN PHILADELPHIA.