Part 12

At NEWTOWN, then county seat, Washington wrote of his victory to the President of Congress, December 27, 1776, in residence of John Harris; his headquarters until December 29. Old Brick Hotel, built, 1684, enlarged, 1764, called, “The Red Lion,” Hessian prisoners were brought here; in 1829, residence of Major Joseph O. V. S. Archambault, born at Fontainebleau, France, aide to Napoleon in Battle of Waterloo, member of his household at St. Helena; was visited here by Prince Murat and Joseph Bonaparte. Old Friends Meeting House; old Court House; and Bank, robbed by the Doans after the Revolution. North of Newtown, one mile, WRIGHTSTOWN, Lenape monument, on site of chestnut tree, land given by Miss Martha Chapman, inscription, “To the memory of the Lenni-Lenape Indians, ancient owners of the region, these stones are placed on this spot; the starting point of the ‘Indian Walk,’ September 19, 1735, Bucks County Historical Society, 1890.” Friends Meeting House; nearby, in fields, site of cave house of John Chapman, first settler: very beautiful views beyond Buckmansville toward Wrightstown, Solebury Mountain in plain view. On Richboro Pike, at RICHBORO and CHURCHVILLE are Dutch Reformed churches, about 200 years old; near is Southampton Baptist Church, built, 1764. From WRIGHTSTOWN, through YARDLEYVILLE to MORRISVILLE, population 3639; opposite Trenton; Island off lower part was first Pennsylvania land occupied by Europeans, 1624; first ferry, 1640. “Summer Seat,” built by Thomas Barkley, 1773, conveyed to Robert Morris, 1791, still standing; was Washington’s headquarters December 8 to 14, 1776; Lincoln Highway enters Pennsylvania here. FALLSINGTON, Friends Meeting House and quaint old buildings.

Return to Philadelphia on Bristol and Frankford Turnpike; “The King’s Highway,” laid out by Provincial Council, first road cut through Bucks County; early milestones still standing; pass Wheat Sheaf to Pennsbury, site of William Penn’s country house, frames and other work brought from England; he lived here one year. EDGELY, greenhouses where “Queen of Edgely Rose” originated; Landreth’s seed farms above BRISTOL, population, 10,273, named for Bristol, England, home of William Penn’s wife, Hannah Callowhill; the Keene house, built by Major Lenox, 1816, American minister to England, his niece, Sarah Lukens Keene, inherited and died here, bequeathing it to the Protestant Episcopal Church of Philadelphia, in trust, as home for aged gentlewomen; St. James’ Protestant Episcopal Church, built, 1712, has silver communion service presented by Queen Anne, church was used for stable by cavalry during the Revolution; interesting burial ground, tomb of Captain John Green of American Navy, said to have been first to carry the American flag in voyage around the world. Farmers’ Bank of Bucks County, Radcliffe Street, Grecian, Ionic, built by James Craig, nephew of Nicholas Biddle, for residence, bought for bank, 1830.

LANGHORNE, residence of Joseph Richardson, Esq., built, 1738, Edge Hill stone, with white oak joists and rafters, sawed by hand with pit saw, now occupied by his descendants; headquarters of Lafayette and Dr. Peter Yarnall. “Night after battle of Trenton, part of Washington’s army came to Attleboro,” now Langhorne: old Galloway House, Trevose, residence of Jeremiah Langhorne, part owner of Durham Furnace. One mile east, on Lincoln Highway, is stone mansion, one of the oldest in Pennsylvania, exterior is in original state, residence of the late A. Haller Gross, Esq., notable for its art, architecture, and landscape gardening; an addition, in French chateau style, built, 1911, has rooms and floors enriched by very beautiful tiles, designed and made by Dr. Henry C. Mercer; his work is further shown on the terraces and gardens; in a fountain of green enameled tiles; the concrete balustrade, and pavilion dragons and other devices are in the sunken Moorish garden; and in the Italian garden, with its pergola, sun dial and fountain. BYBERRY, birthplace Dr. Benjamin Rush in 1745, house still standing; and Friends Meeting House, with large library. EDDINGTON, St. Francis Roman Catholic Industrial School, built and endowed by the Drexel family; CORNWELLS, “Castle of State in Schuylkill”; ANDALUSIA, named by John Craig, Philadelphia merchant, in memory of successful ventures in Spain; here is Church of the Redeemer and King Free Library. Old Red Lion Inn, on the Pike, near three-arched stone bridge, over Poquessing Creek, Washington’s army encamped around it in 1781, on march to Yorktown; seven years earlier, Massachusetts delegates to the First Continental Congress stopped here.

TORRESDALE, Philadelphia County, place of fine residences; Eden Hall now Convent of St. Elizabeth. BUSTLETON, old Baptist Church, with interesting burial ground. Over Pennypack Creek, two arched stone bridge, date, 1800, style has been reproduced in the Fairmount Park trolley bridges. HOLMESBURG, Edwin Forrest Home, “Spring Brook,” and one hundred and eleven acres, bequeathed by him, for retired actors, men and women; bought in 1865 for his country seat; House of Correction, accommodates 1000; well-kept grounds. Over Pennypack Creek, stone bridge built 1697-8, in good repair, oldest in Pennsylvania; about a mile distant, near Rowland Station, is old Crispin Cemetery, contains monument, inscription, “In memory of Thomas Holmes, died, 1695, age 71, Surveyor General for William Penn, he drafted the plan and laid out the City of Philadelphia.” BRIDESBURG, United States Arsenal. FRANKFORD, site of a Delaware Indian Camp, on banks of Frankford Creek; many arrowheads have been found in this locality; Indian names are retained at Tacony, Tackawanna, Wissinoming; an interesting Roman Catholic Church, Gothic, is at Tacony, also Louis A. Burk’s Japanese garden and orchid farm. Swedes settled here in 1667, and were followed by the English. Philadelphia delegates to the First Continental Congress came to Frankford in 1774 to meet the Massachusetts delegates on their way to the city, and held a conference here relative to the Independence of the colonies, which decided the destiny of the nation. In 1781 General Washington and his army marched through Frankford from New York to Yorktown; a stop was made at the “Jolly Post Hotel,” built, 1680, on Frankford Avenue north of Orthodox Street.

In 1824 Lafayette passed through Frankford from Bristol to Philadelphia, riding in an open carriage drawn by six cream-colored horses, with postilions; he was escorted by a detachment of the City Troop under command of Captain Albert Ashmead, Captain of the Philadelphia County Troop; the Washington Grays, and several other companies of mounted volunteers. Rooms of the Frankford Historical Society, Frankford Avenue north of Sellers Street, contain many objects of interest, illustrating this locality in old times. Residence of Commodore Stephen Decatur is on Powder Mill Lane. The old Friends’ Meeting House, corner of Unity and Waln Streets, was organized in 1682; first log church built, 1698; present building, 1775.

Rehoboth Methodist Church, formed in 1830; used the old Academy; the Supreme Court met here in 1800; now on Paul Street below Unity Street; present building Spanish architecture, dark brick, erected, 1879. St. Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church was a Mission of Trinity, Oxford; started in 1709; present church, Frankford Avenue below Sellers Street, erected in 1908; English, Fourteenth century Gothic; Port Deposit granite with Indiana limestone trimmings; architects, Watson and Huckle; windows by D’Ascenzo and Tiffany. Frankford Presbyterian Church, corner of Frankford Avenue and Church Street, was originally German Reformed; corner-stone laid, 1770; for many years the church was supplied with a preacher from the Market Square Church, Germantown; present building erected, 1859; architect, McArthur. St. Joachim’s Roman Catholic Church, corner of Church and Franklin Streets, built, 1874; Gothic, brownstone and sandstone; has a very beautiful tower, resembling that of Magdalen College, Oxford; architect, Edwin Durang; contains three carved marble altars; also a large mosaic, and memorial windows from Munich.

Automobile, north from Centre Bridge, River Road, to DURHAM, commands some of the most beautiful views in eastern Pennsylvania; through LUMBERVILLE, Devil’s Half Acre; right, at Like Kiln, site of important Indian fishing village, many relics have been found here. POINT PLEASANT, mouth of Tohickon Creek, Indians quarried argillite rock for blade material; RIDGES ISLAND, Indian village site; grave of Edward Marshall of the “Indian Walk,” in his family graveyard. Tinicum Creek, picturesque gorges, ringing rocks, cliffs of the narrows, with fine view from Table Rock, very rare “ice plant” grows here. Hill Presbyterian Church, built, 1761, on Durham Road near OTTSVILLE.

KINTERSVILLE, ruins of Durham Furnace, built, 1727, stone, thirty-five feet square at base, thirty feet high; large leather bellows used to give the blast, were operated by a water wheel; charcoal fuel was made in pits close at hand; in 1758, Durham was regarded as best iron works in the country; in 1773, one thousand acres were reserved for the furnace; fire backs and stove plates were made here until 1794, when it blew out; eight genuine, Durham fire backs are at “Stenton,” Germantown, home of James Logan, who was one-fourth owner of the furnace, three bear the date, 1728; cannon balls for the Revolutionary war were made here in quantities, specimens may be seen in the Bucks County Historical Society; in 1773 Joseph Galloway became first individual owner, it then comprised over eight thousand acres, and was leased to George Taylor, at one time a filler at the furnace; he later was a signer of the Declaration of Independence; scanty remains of the once celebrated Durham Cave, destroyed for its limestone as flux for iron ore. The road passes site of Indian village of Pechequeolin, jasper quarries worked by Indians for arrowheads on neighboring Rattlesnake Hill. Fine old stone arch bridges over Tohickon and Durham Creeks. RIEGELSVILLE, old Reformed and Lutheran Churches.

Places of interest in Bucks County, north and west of Doylestown, via Easton and Dublin Turnpikes, PLUMSTEADVILLE, beautiful views of Haycock Mountain, and upper county, Moses Doan’s grave, marked with inscription; west, DUBLIN to HILLTOWN, two Mennonite and Amish meeting houses, stone arch bridge over Deep Run. PERKASIE, Trinity Lutheran Church, mural painting in chancel, “Angel with Trinity Symbol,” the late H. Hanley Parker, artist.

[Illustration: CHESTER COUNTY]

III

CHESTER COUNTY

Third county formed by William Penn; named for Chester, England. This is rich agricultural district; its broad well-kept farms, great gray barns, and comfortable homesteads of stone or brick, many still occupied by descendants of the original Quaker settlers; together with the gently rolling surface of the country and its many beautiful streams, all combine to give the county a character of its own, of quiet pastoral charm. Both the family names and place names indicate in a general way the character of the original settlement of the county, Birmingham, Bradford, Marlborough, and Kennett indicating the settlements of the English Quakers in the central and southern portion of the county: Tredyffrin and Berwyn, those of the Welsh in the east; while the Germans came later into parts of the north; and the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians into the southwest.

The Lincoln Highway, Lancaster Pike, enters the county at STRAFFORD; St. Peter’s Protestant Episcopal Church, built, 1823; Eagle schoolhouse, 1772, on site of Lutheran log church, 1767, one of the cradles of the nation in education; now contains historical library and relics of the neighborhood; site, of “Spread Eagle Inn,” built, 1732, post and relay station.

PAOLI, 535 feet above sea, Tredyffrin township. “The General Paoli Inn,” built by General Joshua Evans, who was elected to State Legislature, 1820; recruiting went on briskly here for War of 1812. Road southwest to West Chester, nine miles. One mile south of Paoli, colonial homestead, “Waynesborough,” birthplace of General Anthony Wayne, built, 1724, in original condition, now residence of Captain William Wayne; contains many relics of the General; Lafayette was guest here one night; marked with bronze tablet; near Paoli is Great Valley Baptist Church, second oldest in state, built by Rev. Hugh Davis, from Wales, 1722; present church, 1805; interesting burial ground. DUFFRYNMAWR Post Office, “The Green Tree,” George King, builder and host, died 1792, native blue limestone, stopping place for Mennonites and Amish.

MALVERN, terminus of the West Chester Railroad in 1833, cars were then drawn by horses; “The Warren Inn,” stopping place for Lancaster County Germans, sold to John Penn, 1776; British army quartered here before Paoli Massacre; in 1786, sold to Casper Fahnestock, member of German Mystic Community at Ephrata; three fugitive French princes were here in 1789, Louis Phillipe, Duke de Montpensier, and Count de Beaujolais.

One mile southwest of Malvern, site of Paoli Massacre, 1777; two monuments, marble, 1817, granite, 1877, same inscriptions, erected by Republican Artillerists of Chester County and citizens; here General Wayne’s company, fifteen hundred men, were surprised by a greatly superior force of British under General Grey, and charged with bayonet before they could arm for defense; Wayne saved his artillery.

DOWNINGTOWN, birthplace of Jacob Eicholtz, artist.

[Illustration: BRONZE TABLET IN BOULDER

This is located on the farm of Dr. Thomas G. Ashton, near Willistown

_Designed by Paul P. Cret_]

“General George Washington Inn” known as Downings, now a dwelling. Interesting colonial mansion of the Thomas family, well preserved, now, Public Library. “The Ship Tavern” one mile west, old sign perforated with bullet holes by Continental soldiers, now a residence. Old gray stone bridge across the East Brandywine, built, 1741.

Two miles north, near Guthrieville, birthplace of Thomas Buchanan Read in 1822, poet and artist; marked, bronze tablet.

On the limestone road, following Indian trail, leading from Parkesburg to Oxford and south, are Faggs Manor, six miles northeast of Oxford, classical school, established, 1739; marked, bronze tablet. St. John’s Presbyterian Church, early burial ground; Whitefield stood under the old oak trees.

An interesting early highway known as the “Street Road,” laid out in part by William Penn, has almost the directness and width of a Roman road; entering the county near Westtown, and crossing Brandywine Creek at Pocopson, to London Grove, original name, Marlborough; Street, stately old Quaker Meeting House at London Grove; wonderful oak trees.

WEST CHESTER, county seat, formed, 1786, population 11,717. In one block, High Street between Gay and Market Streets, are good specimens of the three great orders of Grecian architecture, designed by Thomas U. Walter, architect of Capitol at Washington; National Bank of Chester County, built, 1836, Doric, white marble; First National Bank, Ionic, white marble; the Court House, Corinthian, built, 1847, Pictou stone; on Court House lawn is Soldiers’ Monument to Civil War patriots, bronze figure, granite base, erected, 1915; sculptor, Harry Lewis Raul. Public Library, North Church Street, memorial to Bayard Taylor, contains interesting collection of his manuscripts; “The Story of Kennett,” his books, sketches, and other relics; also marble bust of General Anthony Wayne; sculptor, W. Marshall Swayne. The new Library of the State Normal School contains portrait of Washington by Peale, painted at Valley Forge; historic autograph letters; Indian stone relics; large herbarium; and small permanent collection of original paintings, among them works by Hugh Breckenridge and Mary Butler; annual exhibitions of modern paintings and sculpture are held; Della Robbia reproductions in auditorium; Chester County Historical Society rooms are here, containing many interesting local historical collections; addresses on subjects of local historic interest are frequently given, and published in their bulletins.

Churches noteworthy for architecture, Holy Trinity, Protestant Episcopal, South High Street, native serpentine stone, Gothic; and Westminster Presbyterian, South Church Street, tower suggests famous one of Magdalen College, Oxford. At north end of High Street, stone drinking fountain, surmounted by bronze figure of boy, sculptor, Martha J. Cornwell; placed by New Century Club. Marshall Square, a public park, contains rare collection of trees. West Chester, noted for men of repute in scientific world, was the residence of the late Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock; in 1893 he drew up a bill creating a Forestry Commission, to investigate and report upon the forestry conditions of Pennsylvania, this bill was passed, and in 1895 he was appointed Commissioner of Forestry.

Favorite drives, with succession of beautiful vistas, are along the East Brandywine from Downingtown south, and West Brandywine, from Mortonville south. At MORTONVILLE, three miles southeast of Coatesville, is fine, old, gray stone bridge, with four arches, graduated in width, and rounded buttresses; built, 1826.

Following the stream, and crossing several picturesque wooden covered bridges, through EMBREEVILLE, a half mile east of which is Point Lookout, where sentries were posted to guard supplies for American Encampment at Valley Forge; marked by Chester County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution; opposite is “Star Gazers’ Stone,” set by Mason and Dixon, 1764, in running a base line for boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland; here they made various astronomical observations; calculated the force of gravity; and measured a degree of latitude on the earth’s surface southward; this stone was walled and marked, with bronze tablet. Several places in the vicinity, connected with the Lenni-Lenape Indians, are also marked; in County Home, grounds, grave of Indian Hannah, last of her race in this county; site of her cabin half mile south of NORTHBROOK; Indian cemetery half mile west of Northbrook; and Indian Rock, just west of Northbrook; from the latter point the Indian chief, Checochinican, claimed that land had been reconveyed to the tribe up to source of stream, a mile on either side; these negotiations, in the picturesque language used by the chief, are among the records of the provincial assembly; Okehocking, Indian Town, has been marked by tablet.

Just east of Northbrook, birthplace of Humphry Marshall, botanist; two miles north, at MARSHALLTON, adjoining his old home, is interesting arboretum, still containing many trees planted by him; marked with bronze tablet.

Continue drive to LENAPE, amusement park, where East Branch of the Brandywine, from Downingtown, unites with western; down main stream, skirting, just above Pocopson, a beautiful spot, Dungeon Bottom; and passing several antique, covered, wooden bridges, to CHADDS FORD; here the ranks of British, Hessians, and Continentals charged to and fro at Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777; two miles northeast, old BIRMINGHAM meeting house, used as hospital by troops, and center of some of the fiercest fighting; many points connected with the battle were marked with tablets by Chester County Historical Society, in connection with State Historical Commission, in 1915.

On State Highway, six miles west of Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, birthplace of Bayard Taylor, poet and traveler, and his later home “Cedar-Croft,” built by him, one mile south, both marked with bronze tablets; he was buried at Longwood Meeting House, about two miles east; artistic monument, a cylindrical stone; at this meeting house, of “Progressive Friends,” many prominent leaders of anti-slavery spoke before the Civil War. This region was center of anti-slavery sentiment, many of the old Quaker homesteads were stations of the so-called “underground railroad,” by which fugitive slaves were protected and carried

[Illustration: BAYARD TAYLOR MONUMENT, LONGWOOD]

northward. Half mile north of Longwood Meeting House is “Pierce’s Park,” now owned by Pierre du Pont, Esq., contains wonderful trees, planted over a century ago by Samuel and Joshua Pierce, who rode on horseback to the Dismal Swamp for cypresses and brought them home in saddlebags. Mr. du Pont has recently added an unusually beautiful flower garden and conservatory; visitors admitted free on week days.

KENNETT SQUARE, Bayard Taylor Memorial Library, contains first editions of his books, his paintings, and his drawings; also busts of Bayard Taylor and John Welsh; sculptor, W. Marshall Swayne. In Advent Protestant Episcopal Church, memorial window to Bayard Taylor. Ten miles southwest, NEW LONDON Academy, founded, 1743, marked by bronze tablet; here were educated three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas McKean, George Reed, and James Smith, and other men of prominence.

Other places of interest, in north of county, are VALLEY FORGE, chiefly in Montgomery County. PHŒNIXVILLE, population 10,484; farthest inland point reached by British, September 21-22-23, 1777; marked by low granite monument opposite Fountain Inn. St. Peter’s Protestant Episcopal Church, stone; stained glass windows by Meyer Bros., Munich, Germany; Parish House interior designed by the late George Wattress, pure English, dark oak, with tiled floors; early Iron Industry, Phœnix Iron Company, marked, bronze tablet.

Ten miles northwest of Phœnixville is COVENTRYVILLE, old Coventry Forge, 1717, earliest in county, second in Pennsylvania; Mordecai Lincoln, ancestor of Abraham Lincoln, worked here and was part owner in 1725. WARWICK, Warwick Furnace, Potts and Rutter, proprietors, 1737; here was cast the first Franklin stove, and others with quaint designs and Biblical verses; cannon and cannon balls were made here for the Revolutionary Army; marked. Seven miles west of Phœnixville, at CHESTER SPRINGS, is summer art school of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, forty acres, with buildings for studios, and lodging houses for the students; one of these buildings was used as a Revolutionary Hospital, marked; former name, “Yellow Springs,” a watering resort in colonial days.

Marking on all places has been by the Chester County Historical Society unless otherwise stated.

IV

LANCASTER COUNTY

Formed May 10, 1729, by request of the proprietaries, on site of an Indian village; it was named for Lancashire, England, derived from Lan-Castra, the Camp at Lan, permanent camp of Roman occupation of Britain two thousand years ago. Earliest settlers, Swiss Mennonites, who, in 1710, had warrants for ten thousand acres of land on Pequea Creek; leader, Bishop Hans Herr; his stone house, built by himself on this tract, is still standing, with initials and date cut over front door, “C. H. H. 1719.” A fine Mennonite meeting house, lately built, is here; on the grounds is huge boulder, marked by the Lancaster County Historical Society. This is the richest agricultural county in the United States, of unexampled fertility; the tourist is impressed with the mammoth barns of this region; luxuriant crops of tobacco are of special note. The Conestoga River, with its affluents, drains an area of 315 square miles, it is crossed by many bridges. On the border of the city limits is a nine arch stone bridge, built by Abraham Witmer in 1800, which leads the Lincoln Highway over the Conestoga. At Pequea is St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church, according to a quaint old Vestry Book “Built of wood in 1729, to perform Divine Adoration ... after ye manner of ye Episcopal Church of England,” the itinerant missionaries of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel of England holding service; cornerstone

[Illustration: LANCASTER COUNTY]

of present church building was laid by Bishop Onderdonk, the rector at that time being Rev. Edward Young Buchanan, brother of President James Buchanan; the parish possesses two vestry books of great historic value.

Most famous group of historic buildings are those erected by the Seventh Day Baptists, founded by Conrad Beisel in 1722, at EPHRATA, on the Cocalico; monastery still in original condition, with cells and rooms; and the adjoining chapel little changed; the brothers and sisters lived, each in their narrow cell, like monks of the Middle Ages; a printing press was set up in 1743, on which were printed the largest books in America prior to 1860; first Sunday schools in America were said to have been started here in 1740; and Henry William Steigel introduced glass making. Joining the Cloister Settlement is Clare Point Stock Farm, now occupied by the Redemptorist Fathers, a Roman Catholic order, founded in 1732 by St. Alphonsus Maria Leguori, in Italy; of strict discipline and singleness of purpose, designed to work among neglected country people; this is their only mission in Pennsylvania.

County seat, LANCASTER, 418 feet above sea, population 53,150; laid out by Governor Gordon in 1730; near by is the Conestoga River, named by Conestoga Indians, a tribe of the Delawares; the Dutch who lived here invented the wagon, with big covered tops, drawn by six horses, and named it for the river. It is said that here was first given to Washington the title “Des Landes Vater.” This is a square city, lines run north and south, east and west, with outlying districts; one, Rossmere, was named in honor of George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.