Julian Abele
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Julian Francis Abele (1881 - 1950)

Julian Francis Abele
Born in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USAmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , , and
Husband of — married 6 Jun 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAmap
Father of and
Died at age 68 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAmap
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Biography

Julian Abele was in 1902 the first African-American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Architecture. For thirty years the chief designer for a major architectural firm, he is given full credit for the design of the Philadelphia Free Library, and was responsible for much of Duke University's campus and its chapel.[1]"He was a gifted designer, most of whose recognition came after his death."[2]
Notables Project
Julian Abele is Notable.

He was born on 30 April 1881 in Philadelphia,[3] the fifth son of Charles Abele and Mary Adelaide (nee Jones) Abele. Records show a stillborn daughter on that date, indicating that he was a twin.[4][5] In 1900, at 19, he was a student and living with his widowed mother, Mary A. Abele, and siblings in Philadelphia.[6] When he graduated in 1902 he designed a house for his sister Elizabeth in Spokane, Washington, then went on a European tour to further his education, financed by his future employer. He was hired immediately upon his return in 1906 by the Horace Trumbauer architectural firm.[2]

Julian was an Architect.

By 1910 his mother had also died; the head of the household was Julian's eldest brother, Charles, who ran his own business as a sign maker. Julian was working as an architect. Also in the household were their brother Joseph, sister-in-law Tidian Abele, sister Elizabeth (who had separated from her husband) and Elizabeth's children.[7] His World War I draft registration in 1918 lists his nearest relative as Elizabeth Cook, his sister, 1515 Christian Avenue, Philadelphia (same address as himself);[8] the 1920 census shows that he was still living with Elizabeth and her children.[9] A testimony to his influence on the children's education is that Elizabeth's son, Julian Abele Cook, became an architectural engineer.[1]

He married French-born musician Marguerite Bulle in 1925 in Philadelphia.[10][11]

Their children were:

  1. Julian Abele (c.1927)[12]
  2. Marguerite Abele(c.1929-c.1934)[12]
  3. Nadia Abele (c.1931)[13]

In 1930, Julian (incorrectly indexed as Julius) Abele, 49, architect, was living in Philadelphia with his wife Marguerite, musician; their children Julian, 3 and Marguerite; his sister Elizabeth Cook, 63; and Elizabeth's daughter Marie Cook, 31.[12]

In 1940, having parted with his wife (who was now living with Jozef Kowalewski), he was still living with his sister Elizabeth and his two remaining children, Julian Jr. and Nadia (Marguerite had died at age 5).[14]

Julian died on 23 April 1950 at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The census taken only a few weeks before showed he had his daughter Nadia and her husband Mortimer Reed in his household, along with a niece.[15] At his death, his son reported that he was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and he was to be buried at Eden Cemetery in Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.[16] He was buried in Eden Cemetery beside his daughter Marguerite.[17]

Henry Magaziner, a son of his friend Louis, vividly remembers his personality and taste:

He drew with unmatched facility. He worked in many mediums: water color, lithography, etching, pencil, in wood, iron gold, silver. He designed all his own furniture and made it, even doing the petit point himself. . . . While he knew many historic styles, he seemed to love Louis XIV French most of all. . . . However, he was conscious of good architecture everywhere and very careful to relate his buildings to what was around them . . .[18]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Julian Francis Abele," University Archives and Records Center. Penn University, October 29, 2019 (https://archives.upenn.edu : accessed 19 October 2021).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sandra L. Tatman, “Abele, Julian Francis (1881 - 1950) ARCHITECT, Philadelphia Architects and buildings," The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 2004; https://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/21458.
  3. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9DD-2SVK : 22 December 2014, accessed 19 October 2021), (M1490) Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 > Roll 71, 1908 Sep, certificate no 61639-62538 > image 714 of 1018; citing NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)
  4. ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6NJ-TN5 : 18 February 2021), Able, 30 Apr 1881; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,047,961.
  5. ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBR5-3YW : 8 March 2021), Able, 30 Apr 1881; citing Birth, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, Pennsylvania.
  6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M371-QN1 : accessed 7 April 2021), Julien F Abele in household of Mary A Abele, Philadelphia city Ward 30, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 768, sheet 3A, family 46, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,472.
  7. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG7C-W8S : accessed 7 April 2021), Julian Abele in household of Chas Abele, Philadelphia Ward 26, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 704, sheet 1A, family 9, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1400; FHL microfilm 1,375,413.
  8. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-91V3-7GT?cc=1968530&wc=9F8D-K6D%3A928312701%2C929030401 : 26 August 2019), Pennsylvania > Philadelphia City no 27; A > image 7 of 359; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  9. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6Y5-V28 : 3 February 2021), Abe Julian Cook, 1920. [Incorrectly entered as "Abe Julian Cook"]
  10. ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885-1951", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZWM3-SDZM : 2 March 2021), Julian F Abele and Bulle, 1925.
  11. ↑ Wedding portrait of Julian Abele and Marguerite Bulle. Photographic Prints. Free Library of Philadelphia: Philadelphia, PA. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/613. (accessed Oct 19, 2021)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHW4-8XK : accessed 7 April 2021), Julius F Abele, Philadelphia (Districts 0001-0250), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 114, sheet 16B, line 92, family 30, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2115; FHL microfilm 2,341,849.
  13. ↑ '"U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007"
    Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007
    Ancestry Record 60901 #39276599 (accessed 26 July 2022)
    Name: Nadia Boulanger Abele [Nadia Abele Reed] [Nadia Jones]; Gender: Female; Race: White; Birth Date: 5 Apr 1929; Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Death Date: 16 Feb 1999; Father: Julian F Abele; Mother: Marguerite Bulle; Notes: Dec 1945: Name listed as NADIA BOULANGER ABELE; Apr 1948: Name listed as NADIA ABELE REED; Aug 1973: Name listed as NADIA ABELE JONES; Oct 1973: Name listed as NADIA ABE JONES; 04 Mar 1999: Name listed as NADIA A JONES.
  14. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQJK-9XX : 28 July 2019), Julian Abele in household of Elizabeth Cook, Ward 30, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 51-923, sheet 14B, line 53, family 280, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3716.
  15. ↑ "1950 United States Federal Census"
    United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2505; Sheet Number: 2; Enumeration District: 51-1300
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #236994565 (accessed 26 July 2022)
    Julian Abela Sr (68), divorced head of household in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Born in Pennsylvania.
  16. ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no 35944, Julian F Abele, 23 April 1950, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; see image at Ancestry, database with images, "Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1967" 1950 > 034051-036600 > image 2842 of 3801. Ancestry Sharing Link Ancestry Record 5164 #7003485 with attached Image (accessed 19 October 2021).
  17. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #46528052, database and images (accessed 07 April 2021), memorial page for Julian Francis Abele (21 Apr 1881–18 Apr 1950), citing Eden Cemetery, Collingdale, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Noname (contributor 47160738).
  18. ↑ Henry Magaziner, "As I Remember Julian Abele," "Abele, Julian," Open Durham, Preservation Durham, 2012. (https://www.opendurham.org : accessed 19 October 2021); citing Magaziner, Henry J., As I Remember Julian Abele, (unpublished typescript, biography file, Athenaeum of Philadelphia). The author was the son of Abele's friend Louis Magaziner.

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Husted-87 H Husted
Wilson, Dreck Spurlock. Julian Abele, Architect and the Beaux Arts. London: Taylor & Francis, 2019. http://julian-abele.com/index.html

The author's website has more family members on a "Jones-Abele-Cook Family Tree: http://julian-abele.com/abele-family-tree.html"

See also: https://guides.monmouth.edu/abele and a new public history symposium named in honor of Abele.

posted by H Husted

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