Mary McClain

As one of America’s first cities, Philadelphia is a city of firsts in hundreds of ways. One of the lesser known facts is that it was home to the first institution dedicated to the elderly. The Indigent Widows and Single Women’s Society was founded in 1817 to provide a refuge for older women. 

It was Mary’s home for 37 years. This is how the front yard looked one snowy winter’s day just after the women moved to their new facility in 1889. By 1900 there were 157 residents and a staff of 16. This building stood until recently at 3615 Chestnut Street.

There were never any wedding plans in Mary’s life, and since she was born in 1808, little documentation remains to tell her story. She must have had at least one sibling since her obituary said her only known relative was a niece living in Harrisburg. She was born in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and came to Philadelphia as a young adult. For about 50 years she lived in a neighborhood in the Lower Northwest section called Falls of the Schuylkill, now known as East Falls. 

Mary wasn’t inclined to talk much about her younger years, but giving to others was an important part of her life. She spent months, perhaps years, doing relief work during and after the Civil War. The city was the nation’s major medical center with 20 hospitals working to ease the suffering of 157,000 members of the military, both Union and Confederate. 

At age 65  she was eligible to enter the Indigent Widows and Single Women’s home, so that’s what she did in 1874. The name of the home was a bit deceptive, since she and most of the others weren’t really impoverished. The residents simply couldn’t afford the lifestyle they once had. There were certain admission standards, and references were required attesting to the woman’s moral character.

Mary took part in many activities at the home, and was one of the more popular residents. Eventually she was also the oldest. At her 100th birthday party she opened up with some childhood tales, demonstrating the remarkable memory she still had.

It’s hard to top the 100th, but she did on her 101st.  A man who kept a garage in the neighborhood asked her if she’d like to take her first automobile ride. In 1909 that would have been a thrilling opportunity for anyone. She couldn’t resist, and after the ride she gave this response to a newspaper reporter who asked how she felt.

Through all the years she was at the home she was never reported as being ill. Only in the last two years did her hearing and eyesight begin to weaken. At her death on August 17, 1911, she was just nine days away from celebrating her 103rd birthday.  

Her death certificate listed the cause as “cerebral hemorrhage and left side paralysis” or what today is known as a stroke. Her obituary was more polite, simply stating it was attributed to old age. The home owned a large part of Section 153 on the Yeadon side of the cemetery, so that’s where she was buried.