Lucas Farm was established in the 19th Century on good land near the school where I was teaching in the 1970’s. By the time I discovered it, its fate was sealed. Urban sprawl had made farming an untenable land use. The Lucas family kindly allowed me to take my art students onto the property on sketching trips. Although its old charm remained, the Victorian house was being taken over by a tangle of nature. To me, the cracks and peeling paint added the dignity of age to the sprightly and lyrical architectural details. These details speak to me of an exuberant and inventive period in our history. - RB