History Spotlight: Marple Women in History: The Lucases

by Doug Humes

For Women’s History Month, we remember two Marple women who contributed much to teaching about and preserving Marple’s history: Hilda Lucas and her daughter Susan.

Hilda Shadel was born in 1910, moved to Havertown and attended high school there. During the Depression, her father, a builder, found a place in Maine that would ship pre-fabricated log homes to the U.S. He ordered one and it was delivered on a truck to Sproul Road in Broomall, and once it was put on its foundation, the family moved in. Their log home is still there, two doors up from the former ambulance building!

Hilda Shadel Lucas' childhood log home on Sproul Road

Photo Courtesy of Haverford Township Historical Society

Hilda later married Walter Lucas, and they built the first house on Lewis Road. From early on, Hilda had a passion for photography, and historic places. Over her 92 years she collected thousands of photos of sites in every township in Delaware County. She was one of the founders of the Marple Newtown Historical Society. She fought to preserve things worth preserving – such as the Massey House. The Marple Historical Society is fortunate to have her photo collection documenting Delaware County in the 20th century.

The apple did not fall far from the tree. Hilda’s daughter Susan was a volunteer at the Massey House from an early age, and an active historical society member.

Hilda Lucas points to daughter Susan sitting on porch of Williamson House

Photo courtesy of Marple Historical Society

Susan wrote articles on local history, and her passion carried over into her Marple Newtown High School history classes. She died far too young in 2001. The Marple Historical Society helps preserve her memory by awarding the annual Susan Lucas Scholarship each year to a MNHS student who intends to study history. You can honor the memory of the Lucases as well by contributing to the scholarship fund.

For more information about the Susan Lucas scholarship fund or the history of Marple, visit the Marple Historical Society website:

www.MarpleHistoricalSociety.org

Their website has a link to their Facebook page. Please consider joining the Marple Historical Society, to keep up-to-date on coming events.