Our Community about our
Local Historian Doug Humes
Doug Humes, holding photo of William Dickinson, builder and original owner of Doug’s 1855 home, in front of the Marple Historical Society marker on the home
Written by Liz Burnett Photos courtesy of Doug Humes
years ago to join the Newtown Square Historical Society and immediately accept their offer to serve on the NSHS Board. Since then, he has served in every officer position, including 5 years as President. He also served with the Delaware County Heritage Commission, and currently sits on the Marple Historical Commission.
Doug Humes contributes a regular feature article for our magazines, on Marple and Newtown townships history. I recently sat down with Doug, to find out more about him and how he got interested in local history. A few years after Doug was born (in northeast Philadelphia), his family moved to Delaware County, where he has lived ever since. Since 1998, he and his wife Barb have lived in the Dickinson House, an historic home in Marple. Doug and Barb have four adult children and three grandchildren (and counting!). As a kid, Doug’s favorite school subject was always History, perhaps because he lived in an historic home in Haverford. He found it interesting that each room in the house had seen so many families since it was built in the 1870s. He often thought about all the Christmases, the good and bad years, the Depression, and the World Wars those families had lived through. Ever since the 1977 TV series “Roots” helped Doug discover Genealogy, he’s been searching non-stop for his and everyone else’s ancestors. Doug is an attorney whose law office is in an historic home in Bryn Mawr. He worships in Newtown Square’s 300-year-old Quaker Meeting House. His interest in local history led him 25
When Doug started serving on the NSHS Board, he was 25 years younger than all other Board Members. He quickly noticed the many good reasons their generation was “the Greatest Generation.” They were firehouse and ambulance volunteers. They ran the Rotary Club and raised money for community projects. They started and grew the library. They organized the community parades. And they volunteered at the polls each Election Day. They weren’t elected officials; they were simply friends and neighbors who volunteered their time to make our community a better place to live. Over the years, as Doug and Barb visited all 50 states, they came across “curious pieces of history.” In 2012, a friend who was the Editor for Southwest Airlines’ in-flight magazine invited Doug to write an article titled “Slivers of History,” to share some of those interesting finds. He jumped at the chance and submitted his article. A few months later, he received a nice check for his efforts, and also heard from other friends that they had seen his magazine article during a recent flight. Other
We’ll Turn Your Dream Kitchen into a Reality! ouse... H r u o Y e v o L Even More! PAINTING & GENERAL CONTRACTING
• Interior/Exterior Residential & Commercial Painting • General Contracting Services • Top-Quality Work and Beautiful Craftsmanship • Residential & Commercial Powerwash and Soft Washing Services
www.RaffertyPainting.com
•
610 - 626 - 9141
18 Marple Friends & Neighbors / Bringing People Together
•
info@RaffertyPainting.com
