Our magazine’s mission is Bringing People Together, not just around special events and holidays but all year long. We love to share stories about our wonderful community and are excited to feature creative content from our readers.
A few months ago, we published a History Spotlight article by Doug Humes in our Marple Friends & Neighbors magazine about The Serpentine Barrens – a 50-acre tract of land where Radnor, Newtown and Marple intersect. The Barrens consisted of a layer of serpentine rock containing
minerals such as nickel, magnesium and chromium that impeded the growth of crops and large trees.
It was an interesting and insightful look into where Barren Rd got its name and a glimpse into what precious gems may lie beneath our feet. One of our loyal Reader Leaders, James Racine, a Geotechnical Inspector, read Doug’s article and reached out to us asking to share his knowledge of another interesting part of our geological history, the Wissahickon Schist.
Thank you, James, for your thoughtful words.We are grateful for you and your insight. We hope to share more of your stories in the future, and we welcome others to join us with their own.
The Wissahickon Schist
Photo courtesy of James Racine
by James Racine
After reading Doug Humes’ article about the serpentine underlying the Newtown Square and Radnor area, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight some of Marple township’s own unique bedrock and its contribution to the story of our community, the Wissahickon Schist.
The namesake of Wissahickon Creek that runs through Fairmount Park, this bedrock underlies most of the eastern half of Marple township. It continues east all the way to Philadelphia proper, coming in many shades of greys, silvers and browns. Originating as oceanic shale and sandstone
millions of years ago, the schist would have metamorphosed into its current state under immense heat and pressure. These conditions were met over fifteen miles below the surface when its parent rock collided with North America during ancient mountain-building periods.
These conditions gave the schist its unique banded patterns and formed minerals such as mica, which gives the schist its glittering appearance in sunlight and almandine garnets. These garnets can form a 12-sided crystal, which is highly prized by collectors and jewelers for its dark red color. If you look closely amongst local masonry, you may even see little inclusions of this red mineral.
standing in front of Schist at Smedley Park in
Nether Providence
Photo courtesy of James Racine
Over millions of years, erosion eventually brought it back to the surface where early settlers in the community would have utilized it as an easy-to-
access building material. When quarried, the stone was soft enough to mine with hand tools and broke into straight, flat pieces, which made it excellent for masonry. When exposed to air, the rock would oxidize and harden, further increasing its value in construction. This is the reason many quarries were in operation throughout Marple’s history. Signs of this industrious past can be seen beside the First Baptist Church ofMarple along old Marple Road.
The Thomas Massey House is one of our community’s most significant historic landmarks. Many portions of the current structure are built from schist. When Thomas Massey’s son Mordecai married in 1731, he replaced the timber sections of the building with schist. These sections can be seen today alongside the older brick portion of the building built in 1692 to add onto the original wooden structure that the schist replaced.
Another example is the original home of the Broomall Fire Company, built in 1924 at the intersection of West Chester Pike and Sproul Road. The building remains today and hosts many businesses, including Drexel Hill Style Pizza.
With what you learned today, take a look around the community with this new perspective and see where else you can recognize the Wissahickon Schist.
Interested in contributing to our hometown magazine? I would love to hear your ideas and work with you on writing a feature in an upcoming issue. Please get in touch with me at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.