One of the first three counties established by William Penn, 1682, named for Buckinghamshire (Bucks), England, Penn’s ancestral home. From Hatboro, Montgomery County, take the Old York Road to Warminster, site where John Fitch, in 1785, made a model of the first successful steamboat, marked by monument; he ran a boat, with side wheels, by steam, on a pond in 1786, and on the Delaware River, during session of Federal Constitution at State House in Philadelphia, 1787; twenty years before Robert Fulton’s trial trip on the Hudson; before Fitch, first model of steamboat in United States was made by William Henry, of Lancaster, 1763. Approaching Hartsville, is site of Log College, origin of Princeton University, founded by Rev. William Tennent, 1740, near Christ’s Home, where everything is obtained through prayer. Neshaminy Church in a grove of very old oak trees, where William Tennent preached, is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania. Hartsville, Cobe Scout’s shop, on Little Neshaminy; bulk of American army was at Neshaminy Camp, with General Stephen and Lord Sterling, when Lafayette joined it, and was handed his commission by General Washington in Moreland house, near the bridge; marked, inscription,
Bucks County
“Washington’s headquarters, August, 1777, Bucks County Historical Society.” First Pike west of Hartsville, wooden covered bridge over Little Neshaminy; inscription, “Bucks County Bridge, 1821, 20 mi. to P.” Continue York Road beyond Jamison’s Corner, seven arch stone bridge over Big Neshaminy at Bridge Valley, built, 1800; beyond bridge, first left road, over Crawford’s Hill, fine view of Neshaminy Valley.
Via Pebble Hill to Doylestown, county seat, settled, 1778, population 3857; court house, native gray stone; concrete fountain in front, Renaissance, with benches and lamp posts, designed by William R. Mercer, Jr., erected by borough, 1912, in commemoration of one hundredth anniversary of the county seat. Bucks County Historical Society, Library and Museum, built, 1915, of reinforced concrete, interior groined arch construction, designed, built, and presented to the Society by Dr. Henry C. Mercer; the court, surrounded by four galleries, contains collections illustrating history of the United States by means of utensils of American pioneers; unique of its kind in America; includes Indian relics, decorated stove plates, illustrated in a booklet “The Bible in Iron”; arms and relics of the Rebellion. Former library building, now the Auditorium, brick, built, 1904; colonial, designed from “Homewood,” Baltimore residence of Charles Carroll of Carrollton; was presented to the Society by William L. Elkins, Esq.
Fountain House, Main Street, opposite National Bank, oldest hostelry in continuous use in upper Bucks County, built, 1745, rebuilt, 1758, low, two story, with porches, was the old stagehouse to Easton; contains large collection of colonial furnishings and old prints. “Aldie,” residence of William R. Mercer, Jr., has notable pheasantry, rare fowls from eastern Asia; concrete garden ornaments made by Mr. Mercer; and antique sculpture from pre-Christian era; Font Hill, outside borough limits, residence, Dr. Henry C. Mercer; beamed and vaulted ceilings; roof terraces and many windows, entirely of reinforced concrete; walls and ceilings adorned with mosaics and tiles made by Dr. Mercer at the neighboring “Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.” Living room decoration, Bible pictures in tiles, adapted from Pennsylvania German stove plates; Columbus room, ceiling and pavement tiles, discovery and exploration of America; Bow room, ceiling tiles, Cortez’ maps of ancient Mexico, pavement, Aztec picture writings; Yellow room tiles, story of Bluebeard; also collection of classical and Renaissance mosaics, and ancient tiles, from historic buildings; may be seen by writing to the owner for admission.
Near Doylestown, National Farm School, four hundred acres, pioneer Jewish institution of its kind in America, founded, 1898. From Doylestown southwest, two miles, Castle Valley, Prospect or Spruce Hill, fine view, and grave, according to county tradition, of Lenape Chief, Tammany, whose name is used in Tammany Hall, New York; continuing the automobile route, Buckingham turnpike near Doylestown, small stone bridge, said to be 179 years old; facing masonry, more modern; date stone, 1814. Buckingham, Tavern, General Green’s headquarters, lunch room restored in ancient style; Friends Meeting House, with lost graves of Continental soldiers along roadside; Buckingham Mountain and Wolf Rocks, center of runaway slave settlement, old negro church on summit; left of Old York Road, ancient limestone quarries and kilns; Holicong or “Conkey Hole” deep funnel-shaped depression with water hole in neighboring field; residence of Colonel H. D. Paxson, contains unique collection of light and fire making apparatus, and of North American Indian objects including the Lenape Stone; Lahaska, Dr. Staveley’s residence, “Bleak House.” Aquetong, Logan’s or Ingham Spring, one of the largest limestone springs in East United States, residence of Samuel Ingham, General Jackson’s Secretary of State; north of York Road, Solebury, Friends Meeting House.
Center Bridge, on the Delaware, house in which William G. Whittier, the poet, lived. Residence of Edward W. Redfield, landscape painter, many of his paintings are made from scenes in this vicinity. New Hope, summer art colony, residence W. L. Lathrop, and other artists; Parry House, “Cintra,” stone, with walls of great thickness, said to have been built by William Maris in 1816, is so strikingly like the famous Octagon House in Washington, D. C, that both were probably from the same model, a wing of the old castle “Cintra” near Lisbon, Portugal; the heavy paneled cherry doors, with silver-plated knobs, on first floor, are said to have been originally part of Robert Morris’ house, “The Hills,” in Fairmount Park; Mr. Maris is credited with several buildings in New Hope, also, near New Hope, “Spring Dale,” with octagonal entrance hall, once the home of Dr. Charles Huffnagle, who was United States Consul to Calcutta and later United States Consul General to British India; who brought a notable collection of curios from the Orient which for many years were on exhibition at Spring Dale.
In December, 1776, four brigades under Generals Sterling, Mercer, Stephen, and De Fermoy, were posted from Yardley’s to Coryell’s Ferry, now New Hope, to guard fords above Trenton. Farmhouse of William Keith above Brownsburg, built, 1763; marked, inscription, “Washington’s headquarters previous to Battle of Trenton, December 14-25, 1776.” Old Eagle Tavern to right, fine view of river, hills, and valley southward; picturesque valley of Knowles Creek along Jericho Hill, site of American Army camp. North, line of William Penn’s first Bucks County purchase from the Indians, near site of Indian town Playwicky; below, “Lurgan,” near river, named in honor of James Logan’s birthplace in County Armagh, Ireland. On December 25, Washington and army crossed the river at McConkey’s Ferry, now Taylorsville, before midnight; nine hundred-foot bridge there now; twenty-four hundred troops were transported by 3.00 A.M. December 26; marched to Trenton, in two divisions, under Generals Greene and Sullivan, conquered the Hessians, and recrossed the river same evening, with nearly one thousand prisoners, arms, and several cannon.