In May 2022 I got in my little purple VW Beetle and made the 6 hour trek from Attica, NY to Philadelphia to explore where Ted Bundy spent his early years…
The address of Bundy’s grandparent’s house in Roxborough (before it was bulldozed) was ‘499 Domino Lane / Philadelphia PA 19128.’ This above photograph was taken on March 29th, 1950. Ted lived here with his Mom, Aunt, and Grandparents until Louise moved him to Tacoma, WA when he was three years old. Photo courtesy of oddstops.The first house Bundy lived in when his Grandparents (not Louise) brought him home from the ‘Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers’ in VT. Interesting fact, it was called the ‘Home for Friendless Women’ before the name was changed. Photo courtesy of oddstops.A photograph of the back of 7202 Ridge Avenue, as seen from Domino Lane. In 1950, Louise Cowell took her young son, left Philadelphia and moved to Tacoma to live with her Uncle Jack Cowell, a music instructor at the University of Puget Sound. Before moving she changed Ted’s last name to Nelson in order to hide the fact that he was illegitimate. In 1951, Louise met Johnny Bundy (a cook at the nearby Madigan Army base) at a Methodist church in Tacoma and the couple wed later that same year. As we all know, Johnny adopted Ted and attempted to raise him as his own. Photo courtesy of oddstops.An aerial image of where the Cowell’s first home once stood taken on May 2, 1948; at the time this was taken Ted was 18 months old. In the 1940’s and 50’s this was a rural, middle class neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, photo courtesy of oddstops.A picture of Ted’s Grandfather, Samuel Cowell.There is a health spa and Italian Ice stand where the Cowell’s home once stood (picture taken in May 2022).The site where the Cowell families home once stood (as of May 2022).An interesting visual of what the Cowell’s house would look like if it was somehow transplanted today, photo courtesy of oddstops.Samuel and Eleanor Cowell moved here to 4617 Pulaski Avenue in Philadelphia after they sold their first home in Roxborough. It is strongly speculated that Ted visited this house on multiple occasions in 1968/69 while staying at his Aunt Julia’s house in Lafayette Hill. His grandmother sadly died at the age of 76 in April of 1971; she suffered a stroke in the mid-1950’s and had diabetes. Because she had agoraphobia, Eleanor seldom left her house (especially during the final years of her life); she also underwent electroconvulsive therapy for depression. Bundy was on death row when Samuel passed away in December of 1983 at the age of 85.The Cowell families second home located at 4617 Pulaski Avenue in Philadelphia.The right side of the Cowell’s second home, picture taken in May 2022.The house is MASSIVE, it’s like a compound, picture taken in May 2022. Ted’s Aunt Julia’s house in the daytime, pic taken in May 2022. Bundy stayed here in while attending Temple University and it’s strongly speculated he moved to Lafayette Hill at some point in December of 1968 and stayed until May of 1969 (when he moved back to Tacoma). A picture of Ted’s Aunt Julia’s house located at 4039 South Warner Road in Lafayette Hill, PA. While living in PA, Bundy made frequent trips to the Jersey Shore and NYC. He especially enjoyed going to 42nd Street in Manhattan, which was known for its prostitution and sex shops before it was “cleaned up” in the 1990’s. Ted also enjoyed hanging out at the beach at Ocean City in New Jersey. He would often just sit and stare at women as they were sunbathing, even going so far as to stalk some of them.The death notice for Ted’s Grandmother, photo courtesy of oddstops.
Another Bundy Blog. 