John B. Clothier
1862 May 23–1924 April 26
John B. Clothier was a prolific developer in early Narberth. As J. B. Clothier, J.B.C. or Goodman & Clothier, his holdings are conspicuous on the 1896 and 1900 layers of the Narberth History Map in the blocks north of Haverford Avenue.
Narberth's first election was held February 19, 1895 in (or near, see the following link) the Goodman & Clothier real estate office on the corner of Essex and Haveford Avenues. His advertising billboard sign appears in "Downtown from the tracks" of about 1898.
Clothier, whose house at 200 Grayling had been threatened by the Presbyterian Church fire in 1896, became a founding member of the Narberth Fire Company in 1897. But when he failed to win election as Fire Chief the next year, he briefly started a rival Fire Company on Haverford Avenue.
Updated February 15, 2026.
U. S. Census
| Census | Age | Race | Gender | Marital | Relation | Address | Immigrated | Birthplace | Father's | Mother's | As transcribed | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 37 | White | Male | Married | Head | 200 Grayling Ave. | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | John B Clothier | Grayling | ||
Census Households
| Census | Name | Relation | Age | Own | Race | Marital | Birthplace | Business | Trade | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | John B Clothier | Head | 37 | Own | White | Married | Pennsylvania | Real Est. Of. | ||
| Emma Clothier | Wife | 32 | White | Married | Indiana | |||||
| Elizabeth K Clothier | Daughter | 10 | White | Single | Pennsylvania | at school | ||||
| Cora Scott | Servant | 25 | Black | Single | Virginia |
DOB given in 1917 passport application
Borough position
| Borough Council | 1898 Mar 7–1899 Mar 6 |
John B. Clothier on FamilySearch (census & other records; requires free account)