Wilbur Hall
By Carolyn Joseph, Curator
In an interview with Margaret Johnston in 1968, Wilbur Hall spoke about his life living and working in Llanerch. Wilbur Hall was born in Kemblesville, Chester County which is south of West Grove near the Delaware line. Mr. Hall, born in 1879, worked originally for Consolidated Edison in West Chester. 
He came to Llanerch in 1901 to work as an oiler for the Philadelphia and Western Traction Company. Before long he was promoted to night engineer, then chief engineer. In 1908, he and his parents moved into arow house on the southeast corner of West Chester Pike, in Llanerch, now razed. This was quite convenient since he could walk to work and come home for the mid-day meal. About 1912 he built a home on Tenby Road. When he married Alice Logan, they continued to live with his parents at that residence.
Wilbur Hall photographed what were his work and his passion. It is our good fortune that he recorded the local scenes, railroads, railroad buildings and details of the machinery and trains used during the early part of the 20th century. Scenes of the countryside can be seen meshing with the railroads and transportation in Haverford Township and beyond. Trolleys and steam engines, long gone, are depicted in the photos as are winter storms, homes, businesses and schools of interest, and everyday family and community events.
Many years ago this collection was donated to the Haverford Township Historical Society. Some of thephotos from this collection were used in the book "Images of America Haverford Township", written in 2003 and published by Arcadia Publishing. Copies ofthe book are available through the Historical Society and at local bookstores.
More recently the cataloguing and preservation of these pictures has been completed, with the help ofvolunteer Libby Hawes. This work involved the cataloguing of over 200 glass plates and hundreds of photographs. These photos have been scanned and entered into the museum program, PastPerfect.
It is our hope that residents capturing ordinary events in the Township will continue to provide us with photographic wealth for the future. What will be common today will be extraordinary in the next 100 years. If you are thinking about throwing out those old photos and ephemera of the past, do think of us. And if you are handy at taking pictures, do photograph what is happening now. It will be history soon!
Ways to preserve our past are to volunteer your time, donate your collection, become a member, or give a gift to the Haverford Township Historical Society.
He came to Llanerch in 1901 to work as an oiler for the Philadelphia and Western Traction Company. Before long he was promoted to night engineer, then chief engineer. In 1908, he and his parents moved into arow house on the southeast corner of West Chester Pike, in Llanerch, now razed. This was quite convenient since he could walk to work and come home for the mid-day meal. About 1912 he built a home on Tenby Road. When he married Alice Logan, they continued to live with his parents at that residence. 
