We received an email from a stranger named Jack Riehl in Cape May, NJ, who said his Great Great Grandfather used to own a tavern in Fishtown at 206 E Girard Ave back in the early 1800's. That address today is a commercial mixed use shell property that we have listed for our clients. It is currently Pending which means the settlement will be in the near future if the buyer can obtain financing. It is a huge rehab project. Jack Riehl from Cape May found us online and asked if he could take a peek at the place at 206 E Girard if he made the road trip to Philly. We were reluctant but Jack seemed so excited about his family history that we had to say yes.
So, I got a call the other day. "Hey Stephanie, my wife and I are in town and we were wondering if..." You can figure out the conversation. Even though it was the hottest day yet in June, I walked over to Shackamaxon and Girard where his Great Great's tavern used to be, next to the renowned Murph's Bar, to find two people in very colorful Florida leisurewear, hunched over, faces pressing against the storefront window, hands shielding the sun so they could see inside more clearly. To say they looked out of place on the Avenue in front of an abandoned property was an understatement. They saw me, smiled, and waived excitedly...
"Guess who we are?" they said. I chuckled at the obviousness of the question. Who else could they be!?
So, just who was Jack Riehl's Great Great Grandfather?
As fate had it, the mystery was mine to reveal. The late John S. Riehl's obituary curiously read:
"OCCUPATION: Gentleman"
And that is apparently what he was to the Fishtown area residents and friends who patronized his drinking establishment way back in the 1800's. But Bar Owner and Gentleman was not the least of John Reihl's accomplishments. This Civil War veteran was Adjutant and Lt. for Company D, 26th Regiment, Pa. Volunteers, Infantry.
Here is what his Great Great Grandson Jack Reihl writes to me in an email -
"My guess is that because he could write and had excellent handwriting ability, he was made the Adjutant, which, today, would be like the Chief of Staff. As such, he wrote many letters on behalf of the Officers of the Company. One such letter is attached...wonderful to have a copy of his handwriting and signature!"
Long gone but not forgotton...
"Born in 1827, John S. Riehl graduated from Central High School in 1848 at the age of 21. After the Civil War, he returned to 206 E Girard Avenue and became the Founder and President of a Building & Loan Company and organized the Keystone Pleasure Fishing Club in nearby Mayville, Cape May, on March 17, 1874 for the purpose of "fishing and hunting" in the area.
John S. Riehl was an active Mason and rose to the 32nd degree. Around the time of his 70th birthday, he caught a cold and at the time, he was living at 206 E Girard with the young daughter of his housekeeper, Jane Reed. Young Jane took JSR around the corner to be nursed by her friend's mother who lived at 1116 Shackamaxon Street (which is now just a vacant parking area). JSR did not recover and he died on February 16, 1897. He was buried with full Military and Masonic Honors at the North Cedar Hill Cemetery in nearby Kensington."
Strange Reunion of Sorts
We're glad that we were able to show Mr. Jack Riehl a glimpse into his family's past. It was a strange request and a strange reunion. I have to admit as I stood there where John S Riehl once lived and worked, I felt a slight uneasiness like we were not alone in the rubble of this old establishment. Even if the property is a shell right now, it holds many stories and links to the history of Fishtown's earlier residents. We hope that 206 E. Girard is home to gentlemen in the future and will remember John S. Riehl as the original "gentleman ghost" of Fishtown.
R.I.P. JSR
Come Saturday, July 17, Memphis Taproom's Handmade Market brings unique crafts to Fishtown from 11 am - 3 pm. Many of your favorite artsfolk will be representing the neighborhood, so come check it out and see what they've been up to. And as a bonus, you can stick around for lunch at the Taproom, which means a piping hot order of beer-battered pickles and one of the finest beer selections around.
Back in May, 
