About

This was the home of actor Alexander Gray in 1930. Alexander P. Gray, Jr. was born on January 8, 1902 in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. He began in entertainment as a lead singer on Broadway for Florenz Ziegfield and was the star in several musicals and operettas in the 1920s. He was recruited for film by Jack Warner and he and Bernice Clair were filmdom’s first operetta pair, predating Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy by several years. He was featured in seven films between 1929 and 1933. Thereafter, he returned to Broadway and was featured in operettas, vaudeville and radio. The rest of his career involved live performance in the theater and in night clubs. He died on October 4, 1975.

M. Mintz, architect.
Roth & Parker, architect.

1930 census:
1917 N. Oxford Ave. (Renting for $200 per month): first entry?): 1) Alexander P. J. Gray, renter and head
of household; 38 year old white widower; married at age 25; born in Pennsylvania; father born in District of Columbia, mother in Pennsylvania; an actor at Legitimate Motion Pictures. 2) Jean H. Gray, daughter; 11 year old white female; born in Illinois; mother born in Illinois. 3) Marion V. Couch, sister; 33 white married female; married at age 22; born in Pennsylvania; not working. 4) Alice Jeffries, servant; 37 year old Negro female widow; married at age 26; born in Alabama; parents born in Alabama; a servant in a private family.

1917 N. Oxford Ave. (Value: $30,000): (second entry?): 1) George P. Weller, Jr., owner and head of household; 45 year old married white male; married at age 22; born in Nebraska; parents born in Pennsylvania; a Physician in general practice. 2) Florence S. Weller, wife; 44 year old married white woman; married at age 19; born in Iowa; father born in Illinois, mother in New York; not working. 3) Virginia Hazard, step-daughter; 21 year old single white female; born in California; father born in Indiana; not working. 4) George E. Hazard, step-son; 20 year old white single male; born in California; father born in Indiana; a salesman for ice machines. 5) Barbara Hazard, step-daughter; 12 year old white single female; born in California; father born in Indiana; in school.

1940 Census:
1917 Oxford Street (Value $10,000): 1) Benjiman R. Palladini, head of household; white married male 81 years of age; born in Italy; a chemist in private practice. 2) Rosa Palladini, wife; white married female 78 years of age; born in Italy; not working.