People/Organizations | Horsham Preservation and Historical Association

Native Americans: Lenape

The Lenni Lenape Author: Kevin Winters Published: May 30, 2025 The Lenni-Lenape (which means “Men of Men” or “Original People” (The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape, 2007) or “the people”(Eden, D, 2015). They were also called “The Grandfathers or ancient ones” (Nanticote) by other native tribes. They are the oldest known nation in the Northern Hemisphere, their oral history suggests that they crossed into Alaska across the frozen Bering Sea thousands of years ago and eventually made their way to the eastern shore...

Margaret Choate

Posted in In Memoriam, People/Organizations.

Margaret Choate Margaret Ellen (Hinton) Choate died on April 5, 2017 in Horsham, Pa. at the age of 69. She and her husband, Peter Choate, founded the Horsham Preservation and Historical Society in 1997. In 2002 they both retired to work full time for this organization. Margaret was born in Philadelphia to Elsie and William Hinton. She grew up in Southampton, PA and graduated from William Tennant High school. Margaret worked in banking for 25 years for First Pennsylvania/CoreStates Bank, retiring in 1994 from the Horsham branch as Manager and Assistant Vice President. Margaret had a love...

Peter Choate

Posted in In Memoriam, People/Organizations.

Peter Choate We are extremely sad to report the passing of our dear friend Peter Choate. Pete was the cofounder and long-time leader of our organization. He passed away peacefully January 13, 2025, at the age of 83. Pete and his wife Margaret are shown below in March, 2016 at the Penrose-Strawbridge House. Pete and Nargaret ChoateBy: Kevin Winters March 2, 2016 Both Pete and Margaret committed the latter parts of their lives to our group, preserving the history of Horsham Township, the restoration of the Penrose-Strawbridge House and service to our community. Margaret passed away...

Memories of Sue Bibus

Posted in memories, People/Organizations.

Memories of Sue Bibus Author: Sue Gilbert and Sue Bibus Editor: Kevin Winters Published: August 9 2018 photo of Sue Bibus (Sophie Halata) in center with brother and sister on either side. Used with permission of Sue Bibus Memories is a place for folks to tell us the stories they remember of Horsham Township. Please contact us (hpha@horshampreservation.org) if you would be interested in sharing your stories (long or short) to become part of the history of the area.. You can send us written stories, audio or video – and we would love some of your...

Isaiah Lukens

Posted in People/Organizations.

Charles Harper Smith Editor: Kevin Winters Published: August 9 2025 Get involved or contribute to HPHA Donate

Samuel and Sarah Penrose

Posted in People/Organizations.

Graeme Park in Horsham, PA was established in 1720 by the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, Sir William Keith. Keith called his plantation Fountain Low. Originally about 1,800 acres, parcels were sold off in the 1730s after Keith returned to England. His son-in-law, Dr. Thomas Graeme acquired 835 acres of Fountain Low in 1737 and renamed this parcel Graeme Park. Graeme turned his park into a summer retreat and during the period of the 1760s it became a stop for many of the more prominent people in Philadelphia. Dr. Graeme’s daughter, Elizabeth, inherited the property in 1772 upon her...

Morris and Mary Penrose

Posted in People/Organizations.

Not much is known of Morris Penrose. He was born on March 14, 1860, the second child of Abel and Sarah Penrose. Morris never married but did become the fourth generation of Penroses to farm Graeme Park. His sister Mary Penrose married William Carothers on April 16, 1913. Carothers was 23 years older and died two years later. Mary returned to Graeme Park following his death. She died in 1953. When Morris’ father Abel Penrose died on July 10, 1893, his will directed that the property could be purchased by his two sons, Morris B. or William Penrose, either jointly or individually,...

Samuel Carpenter

Posted in People/Organizations.

Samuel Carpenter Editor: Kevin Winters Published: August 9 2018 Updated: November 27, 2025 Samuel Carpenter Public Domain – Carpenter & Carpenter Samuel Carpenter was an early investor in the new Pennsylvania and among his extensive holdings were 5,000 acres that include most of what would become Horsham Township. It is believed that the township was named for Carpenter’s birthplace in Horsham, Sussex, England. Samuel Carpenter, and his half-brothers Joshua and Abraham, came from Barbadoes to William Penn’s new city of Philadelphia...

Howard T. Hallowell

Posted in People/Organizations.

Howard T. Hallowell Howard T. Hallowell, a native of Horsham, founded the Standard Pressed Steel Company, now known as SPS Technologies. Mr. Hallowell was born on June 30, 1877, at Hallowell, Pa. Hallowell was working as a draftsman at the American Pulley Company in Philadelphia in 1900 when he witnessed an industrial accident where a brittle cast iron shaft hanger broke. He designed a better hanger from pressed steel and patented it in 1901. The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia115 awarded Hallowell the John Scott Legacy Award for this same invention in 1906. In 1903 Hallowell left...