The Red Arrow’s West Chester Pike Trolley in Broomall: 1895–1954
The West Chester trolley, which served Marple township for more than half a century, had a large impact on the township’s early suburban development and has endured as a memory in Broomall’s collective consciousness more than half a century after it was replaced by the Route 104 bus....
Foxcroft Station & the Newtown Square Branch
The Pennsylvania Railroad's Newtown Square Branch passed through Marple from 1895 until 1963 and for many of those years it served a small flag stop called Foxcroft Station. Today, little is left of the railroad, but if you look closely, you can find remnants....
Obituary for a Funeral Home: the McCluen House, ca. 1847-2021
Last week the former Kish funeral home, a familiar landmark at Sproul and Lawrence Roads, passed into history. Now, after 1998 Sproul Road has been demolished, it is worth looking back on this building’s roughly 174-year life....
The Election of 1960: Future Presidents Campaign in Lawrence Park
Sixty years ago, not one but two future presidents came through Marple Township during their campaign for the White House. Republican Vice President Richard Nixon and Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts were squaring off in a tight race to win the presidency that saw air travel, television,...
Broomall (not Marple): A History of the Township’s Post Offices
Most residents of Marple Township have a Broomall, Pennsylvania mailing address with a 19008 Zip Code. No one has a "Marple, Pennsylvania" mailing address. Despite this, there is not, nor has there ever been a township, borough, or city by the name of Broomall (in Pennsylvania at least). What...
“Now 5 For Fashion”: Snellenburg’s Lawrence Park Department Store
In 1960, Snellenburg’s, a major Philadelphia department store, opened a branch store in Lawrence Park Shopping Center. In an attempt to court a clientele increasingly fleeing to the suburbs, Snellenburg’s gave Marple Township a major department store, though after less than 20 years the store would close and be...
A Brief History of Marple Township
Marple Township was established more than 330 years ago. Before I start covering episodes and events in Marple's history, I wanted to give a brief overview. This is in no way an exhaustive history, but hopefully it provides some context for future posts....