Jayne Building, 238 Chestnut Street

1850- Advertisement from Campbell Collection, Vol. 11, p. 19, Historical Society of Philadelphia

1851- Julio Rae's Philadelphia Pictorial Directory and Panoramic Advertiser, (courtesy of Athenaeum of Philadelphia).

1860- Ernest Hexamer and William Locher, Maps of the City of Philadelphia, Vol. 1., Plate 8, Philadelphia, 1860 (courtesy of Free Library of Philadelphia).

1872- Photographs of Carter's Alley (March 5, 1872) by William Bell. After a fire. Courtesy of Library Company of Philadelphia.

1879- The Baxter Panoramic Business Directory, No. 20. Dec. 1879. (courtesy of Athenaeum of Philadelphia)

Etching of Dr. David Jayne, Jayne Building, and architectural information from Campbell Collection (1850), Vol. 11, p. 17. Historical Society of Philadelphia.

Architectural information from Campbell Collection and Franklin Fire Insurance Surveys, 1852, Policy #15680 Book 121: 6-story, granite and brick construction with Gothic moulding, no plan available.

 

Architectural Information:

Dr. David Jayne built this imposing edifice in 1850. It occupied 42 feet in width, 136 feet in depth to Carter's Alley, where there was another front of
the same width. The height of the building was 69 feet and the cupola was 33 feet, which with 27 feet for the foundations, equaled 156 feet for the entire building.

The front is composed of granite from the Quincy quarries in Massachusetts. The front on Carter's Alley is composed of Connecticut granite. The building
was lit on the sides by 132 windows, 93 which were above the surrounding houses.

Front story: rich Gothic finish, ribbed ceiling embellished with bosses and pendants, 50 feet long counter of Italina marble, and floor of tessellated marble.

Second story: Suite of luxury apartments, a receiving room, private office parlour, etc.

Upper stories: for manufacturing of the Doctor's medicines, engraving and printing of the labels and cards used in connection with his business. His business
employed 200 hands including more than 80 women.

One house to the West and three to the East of the main building were purchased by Dr. Jayne, and he rebuilt them. The cost of building as well as the cost of the lots exceeded $300,000!

Architect: William J. Johnson

1951- Photograph of 242-44 Chestnut Street by Leonard Overturf (Spring 1951), from Dr. J. Cohen.