Marketed as K. Struas & Co. Havana Lofts, 301 - 307 N 3rd St. originally housed a leather tannery. The original occupant was Leas & McVitty, who started in Philadelphia in the mid 1880's. The tanning moved to Salem, VA and other areas in the S.E. due to the local availablity of tree barks used as tanning agents. Leas & McVitty built a new headquarters at 311 Vine St (now Penn's View Apartments) in 1901. That allowed K. Straus to convert the space into a tobacco leaf warehouse.
K. Straus & Co. was founded by Karl Straus who was a German immigrant. Straus arrived in Philadelphia in 1867 and he began a wholesale liquor business. In 1888 he became a tobacco merchant opening his own company named K. Straus & Co. at 122 N 3rd St. The business grew and moved to 301 - 07 N 3rd St by the early 1900's.
Old City had many tobacco dealers at that time, including at least 6 others on N 3rd St and on Arch St. Straus died in 1920 leaving the business to his nephew, Adolf Loeb, who incorporated the company in 1922. There are various citations of the business up until 1979, when it seems it merged with another and was listed as inactive.
The buildings at 301 - 07 N 3rd St were listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1975. The building was converted to condominiums in 2006.
1880's
1898 ad
1908 ad
1964 2005 Today
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