Mr. Wana-Whatever
~woops~
Mr. Wanamaker!

by Nicki Marian

Joe and I knew absolutely zilch about this man. We realized that we live in "The John Wanamaker House" on the 3rd floor overlooking Rittenhouse Square and that it was one of the famous 'row-houses'. The address? Did he build this house? Did he live there at one time? Could it have been maids' quarters?

Shopping at the Wanamaker Department Store was routine and we did eat at his restaurant. Haven't a clue as to what floor it was on or if the food was good. Were there waiters or waitresses? What was the decor? It's stated that Mr. Wanamaker opened the first public restaurant in a department store.

THE ORGAN!!! It was totally deafening as it blared out this and that. It was known for having something like 27,000+ pipes and everything else under the sun. Rodman, John's son, wanted the best pipe organ in the world and swore to maintain it as long as he lived.

For those interested in Mr. Wanamaker's fantastic life, it can be found on the 'net'. There is even a picture of him with General Pershing! Mrs. Wanamaker ... no mention. Rodman sponsored a series called "Expeditions to the American Indian". Hey, maybe Rodman lived in our "Wanamaker House"! What do you think?

At least Rittenhouse Square ... oh, that's another story!

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