new-hope-historical-society-140879

Locktender’s House at Lock 11, and the Delaware Canal

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:45:56 GMT

Beyond the Door

31 March 2026

Locktender’s House at Lock 11, and the Delaware Canal

Locktender house at lock #11 today, Delaware Canal to the right

During a recent visit to the historic Locktender’s house, 145 South Main Street, at Lock #11 on the Delaware Canal, volunteers from the New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) met with the executive director of the Friends of the Delaware Canal (FODC), Michael Ginder. This building currently houses the offices of the FODC and an interpretive museum about the canal. In this article we will explore the history of this house as well as selected details about the history of the canal. These interviews, NHHS archives, Pennsylvania state archives, and references listed at the end of this article are the basis for the information presented here.

Archival records from NHHS state that the building was built in 1832 and owned by prominent New Hope citizen, Joshua Vansant. Upon Vansant’s death in 1834 his daughter was willed ownership. When she died the house was bequeathed to her husband, Lewis Slate Coryell. Coryell was a descendant of the Coryell family for whom New Hope and Lambertville were once named. Coryell was also an early burgess (mayor) of New Hope, and an extensive landowner in and around New Hope in the early to mid-19th century. He was an owner of other homes described in this series including the Coryell House ( https://www.newhopehistorical.org/the-coryell-house-akahavana ).

Locktender’s house at lock #11 house construction was completed just after the Delaware Canal commenced operations in 1832. The canal was a monumental project of the era and followed the success of the earlier Erie Canal in New York. Pennsylvanians saw the construction of the Delaware Canal as a way to get their products to population centers such as Philadelphia and New York, thus competing with the success of the Erie Canal. Coal would become the most significant product to be shipped on the Delaware Canal by tonnage. The canal was built with state funds, for approximately $1,400,000.

In 1817 an act was passed by the Pennsylvania assembly creating a commission for the improvement of navigation on Pennsylvania rivers, and eventual locktender house at lock #11 owner Lewis Slate Coryell was one of the three commission members appointed by the governor. Later he would be employed in the Delaware Canal construction in various roles, including as inspector or supervisor of mechanical work.

Canal construction was in the end heavily promoted by Philadelphia Quaker and entrepreneur, Josiah White. He and partners had purchased a 20-year lease on 10,000 acres of the Lehigh Mine Company’s coal lands near the town now called Jim Thorpe, PA. Anthracite shipped via gravity-powered cars to boats which then navigated the slack-water pooled Lehigh River and its locks to reach Easton, PA where the Lehigh River meets the Delaware River. A slack-water canal uses dams and locks to create deep, slow-moving pools to improve navigation, rather than cutting a separate artificial channel as seen with the Delaware Canal.

White worked hard to see the finalization of the construction of the Delaware Canal and its connection to the Lehigh. Once product traveled by canal to New Hope it could continue by canal down to Bristol, PA, on to the Delaware River to Philadelphia, then finally by sea to other ports. The construction of the outlet lock by 1854 in New Hope (easily seen today from the River House at Odette’s) allowed cargo to cross the Delaware River to the cross-New Jersey Delaware & Raritan Canal, thus allowing more direct access to New York markets.

The canal’s greatest success was in the decades just before and after the Civil War. Subsequent canal use was gradually replaced by rail and later motor vehicle. By 1858 canal ownership had been obtained from the state by the private Delaware Division Canal Company, which leased the canal to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in 1866. Canal operations ceased in 1931, the state resumed complete official canal ownership by 1940, and a state park was created along its length.

In 1859 locktender’s house at lock #11 was purchased by the Delaware Division Canal Company from Lewis Slate Coryell for $120. For over 80 years ownership was then unchanged until the Delaware Division Canal Company sold it to a real estate company in December, 1940 for $11,075. Subsequently passing through several private owners, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Department of Environmental Resources obtained title for $325,000 in 1993. Soon thereafter the FODC leased the building for offices, and worked jointly with DCNR to renovate it, with a grand reopening of the renovated building in 1995.

Above is detail of McNair’s 1868 survey map, locktender’s house at lock #11 marked.

Record Group 006, Department of Forests and Waters

Survey Books of the Delaware Division Canal (series RG-006-18)

Courtesy of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Pennsylvania State Archives.

Locktender’s house at lock #11 at canal edge in background,

lock #10 (since about 1960 partially paved over by Main Street)

in foreground, trolley on Main Street, about 1890s.

Locktender’s house at lock #11 at rear left, lock #10 in foreground, mules on towpath, photo undated.

The building is a 3 story plus attic stone sand plastered structure situated on the towpath with the east (street) side first floor at near street level, and the west side second floor at canal level with a main entrance on the 2nd floor. A chimney is centered in the ridge of the gabled roof.

NHHS archives contain a 1979 architectural description authored by NHHS member Ann Niessen stating “subject structure follows closely the original designs for such utilitarian structures drawn up by the Canal Engineers. Such plans are on file in the Archives of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.” Property records show that prior to 1944 locktender’s house at lock #11 was concurrently conveyed with the home at 176 South Main Street. Lock house at lock #11 is one of 4 original canal buildings still remaining in New Hope, each with varying degrees of alteration over the years. These include lock house #10 (186 South Main Street, https://www.newhopehistorical.org/the-locktenders-houselock-10

), lock house #9 (218 Towpath), and the toll collector’s office (230 Towpath). The toll collector’s office was once the home of past NHHS president Claire Shaw. In addition, lock house #9 was once the home of past NHHS president and executive director Barry Ziff and wife Sallie, and was earlier the home Odette Myrtil, just upstream from her then business, Chez Odette, located by lock #8.

Locktender’s house at lock #11 in 1975, prior to later renovations. Note tour boat in canal.

The four locks in New Hope were originally built 11 feet wide to accommodate one boat (aka barge) at a time. By the 1840’s, with business booming, they were widened to 22 feet to handle the width of two boats at a time (lock #11 was converted in 1854).

For a century the locktenders and their families lived rent-free in this house and similar ones up and down the canal, until the closure of the canal business. Life could be hard on the canal, with boats passing almost continuously, up to 24 hours a day during the height of canal activity in the early decades.

Locktenders were mostly male, but not exclusively. When present, locktender wives frequently assisted with lock operation and the sale of homemade foods to boatmen and passengers. At about 500 feet approaching boats would often signal the locktender by blowing on a conch horn. Canal operations usually ceased from December to March. Lock #11 was once named for locktender Samuel Scheetz, and NHHS archives have several of his photographs dating to about the 1910’s. An interesting photo in the FODC interpretive museum shows a man having just one leg. The clearance of the canal boats in a lock was just 3 inches on each side and limb injuries were common according to FODC’s Michael Ginder.

Samuel Scheetz, locktender, 1911.

By 1977 NHHS records document the presence of a craft shop in the locktender’s house at lock #11. Inside the present-day house, an interpretive museum about the canal and its history is located on the second floor, divided into two rooms and maintained by the FODC. This level once served as dining and living rooms for locktender families.

A bathroom that was there in 1993 has been removed to the lower level, which is largely a storage area today but once held the family kitchen. The upper level now serves as the offices of the FODC and was once used as bedrooms.

Museum today, note locktender with injured leg, photo on the left.

A prior building that was southeast of locktender’s house at lock #11 housed the Basket Company and was gutted by fire in 1992. The FODC then contracted with artist William Selesnick to paint five separate murals of life along the canal. They were installed on the site cleared by removal of the fire-damaged structure. This art is still visible today from South Main Street. A concrete building just south of locktender’s house at lock #11 was likely built in the 1950’s, and future canal-related exhibits are planned there by the FODC. A “wicket shanty” is seen across the canal from the concrete building and contains the winch which operated the lock drop gate. And just beyond that, where the American Legion Hall stands today, was where a boat building yard was located.

The Friends of the Delaware Canal have helped preserve this locktender house over the decades. Prime FODC driving force Betty Orlemann came to Bucks County in 1977 and soon triggered the formation of the FODC. The award-winning FODC spearheaded the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of what is now called the Delaware Canal State Park. They remain involved in canal improvement projects, canal walks, lectures, clean-ups, regular meetings, and both short-term and long-term canal planning activities in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, now the state park owner.

Michael Ginder, executive director FODC, in museum on level 2.

Many thanks to Michael Ginder, NHHS historian Roy Ziegler, and NHHS volunteers David Newhart, Tom Williams, and Tom Lyon, who all participated in this article’s preparation.

If you own or reside in a historic property in New Hope and would be interested in having it featured in our “Beyond the Door” series, please contact us at Director@Newhopehistorical.org . A year’s free historical society membership is now offered to those who allow us to feature their property.

References:

“Delaware Canal Journal,” C.P. “Bill” Yoder, c. 1972.
“Guide to the Delaware Canal,” Willis R. Rivinus, c. 1964.
“Pennsylvania’s Delaware Division Canal,” Albert G. Zimmerman, c. 2002.

Parry Mansion and Spring House

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:04:22 GMT

Beyond the Door

20 December 2025

The Parry Mansion and its Springhouse

45 South Main Street

View of Parry Mansion from the west in October, 2025.

The Parry Mansion is one of the most historic and most prominent buildings in New Hope. This article will explore some of the history and architecture of the Parry Mansion and the Parry family members who lived there for five generations. The information comes from interviews with New Hope Historical Society leadership, volunteers, and Jeff Marshall, former president of the Heritage Conservancy and current principal of Open Spaces & Historic Places, LLC. The Historical Society archives also provided valuable content.

John and Margaret Parry, descendants of Welsh Quakers, were owners of a 1,000-acre tract of land in Moreland, Montgomery County, originally granted by William Penn. There they were neighbors to the Todd family. Initial construction of what we now call the Parry Mansion began under the ownership of Joseph Todd, who also owned a mill in Coryell’s Ferry (later called New Hope). When Joseph Todd died in the early 1780s, Todd neighbors John and Margaret Parry and their son Benjamin (1757–1839) took over operation of the mill. From 1783–84, Benjamin Parry completed construction of the Georgian-style center hall colonial home begun by Joseph Todd, and in 1787 he married Jane Paxson (see https://www.newhopehistorical.org/the-northwood-farm-a-witness-to-history ). In 1791, after ten years of operating the mill, Benjamin secured full mill ownership by buying out the share of his brother, Thomas. Today, Benjamin Parry is frequently called the “father of New Hope.”

Benjamin Parry was only 27 years old when he completed house construction and developed mills for flour, linseed oil, and lumber on both sides of the Delaware River. His descendants lived in the house until 1966, when it was purchased by the New Hope Historical Society, in part to prevent its potential sale to an oil company and conversion into a gas station.

Over the next seven years, it was restored and then opened as a museum featuring some original Parry items, as well as other items relevant to the various time periods during which it was occupied as a home. Even today, it stands across the street from other original Parry buildings, including Parry’s barn and his grist mill, which is now the Bucks County Playhouse. Immediately adjacent to the home is a springhouse, which will be further described later in this article.

Parry Mansion after snowfall in December, 2025.

The Parry Mansion is a 2½-story fieldstone structure, five bays wide and two bays deep. A kitchen addition to the south, dated approximately 1795–1835, is easily seen from Main Street by its red argillite stone walls, rather than the bluer fieldstone of the main building. Above that kitchen were quarters for servants, now used as the Historical Society offices. A broad wooden porch on the west side dates to the late 1800s. A more modern kitchen was added to the southwest corner in the 1940s by Captain Oliver Randolph Parry (1873–1958), great-grandson of Benjamin Parry. He wanted his resident sisters, Gertrude Parry (1868–1954) and Adelaide Parry (1871–1958), to enjoy a more convenient lifestyle than was possible with the existing colonial hearth kitchen, which is now part of the museum. That 1940s kitchen was updated in 1985 by the Historical Society to support the Mansion’s use for modern functions. Interestingly, the colonial and 1940s kitchen additions were preceded by a third, earlier kitchen; this first kitchen later became the still-existing formal dining room. Its original walk-in fireplace remains hidden inside the south wall of that dining room.

Postcard of Parry Mansion dated 1936.

View of Parry Mansion from the southwest, showing the 1940 kitchen addition in dark blue, and the multi-story colonial kitchen addition to the right of the 1940 addition.

Colonial kitchen interior as it looks today.

The Mansion contains numerous early features. Many of the windows retain their 1700s glass panes. Wood cornices, shutters, and the current front entrance door are also believed to be original. Careful inspection during an archaeological feasibility study in 1985 revealed evidence of a driveway from Main Street to the south side of the property, and a photograph taken in 1966 shows a Main Street curb cut for that driveway. When the Historical Society took possession of the property in 1966, the exterior woodwork was painted black-green and later changed to white. However, research conducted in 2013, which traced through layers of paint, demonstrated that the original color was a dark blue. Society archives note that “the blue color was made with zinc, which was mined locally in the 18th century.” The Mansion’s exterior woodwork has been kept in that dark blue color ever since.

Snapshot of the Mansion in 1969 showing white paint finish.

Further exploring the rooms on the first floor, we first find the exhibit room. Over the years, it was used as a library and as the office of George Parry, MD (1839–1893), grandson of Benjamin Parry. The music room is where Gertrude and Adelaide Parry often entertained guests. They lived in the home for many years, with their niece, Margaret Parry Lang (1901–1985), moving in after their passing. Bedrooms upstairs include the colonial bedroom, which was likely Benjamin Parry’s office, from which he paid his mill workers who entered via the back stairs. A bathroom was not installed until about 1940 and is now shown as the second-floor child’s bedroom. Plumbing was not available in New Hope until approximately 1938.

To the south of the Mansion stands a two-story springhouse. The second floor may have been used as living quarters for servants or visitors, and a fireplace on that level would have been useful for keeping residents warm or for smoking meat. The Historical Society is currently raising funds to rehabilitate the springhouse. One interior wall on the first level—underground and where the spring is believed to have been—has already been shored up with cinderblock, but significant masonry and carpentry repairs are still needed on both levels before the building can be included in tours of the Parry Mansion. The springhouse repairs, along with other necessary work in the 240-year-old Mansion, are understandably costly for a property of this age. Donations to help defray these costs may be made through the New Hope Historical Society website and will be deeply appreciated.

Springhouse from the south

Springhouse from the north

Following the 1958 passing of Adelaide Parry, the home came into the ownership of her niece, Margaret Parry Lang, the last Parry descendant to live there and the great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Parry. She eventually sold the home to the Historical Society for $65,000 in 1966.

Margaret Parry Lang and her husband Oliver Paul Lang, 1960, standing in the doorway of their home, the Parry Mansion.

In a meeting with Jeff Marshall, he generously provided additional insights based on his on-site observations. These details follow in no particular order. Most houses of this era, including the Parry Mansion, are situated facing southeast to benefit from warming morning sun. The Mansion’s front door appears pre-Revolutionary in that it is flush with the exterior walls and features a pediment to protect it from the weather. The presence of keystones presents a conundrum, as these elements are typically considered post-Revolutionary. Cornerstones at the outside corners of the main house and the kitchen addition indicate that the addition was constructed after the main house. Attic dormers were likely added in the 19th century. The current back (west-side) door once had a pediment, as indicated by three vertical stones above the doorway. The presence of five bays is consistent with ownership by a wealthy family. A basement cistern, still present today, was historically used to store water. Masonry arches in the basement support the fireplaces above, and attic rafter “marriage marks” suggest the rafters were assembled on the ground and then lifted into place. Attics were commonly used for storing valuable grains.

West side Mansion door with vertical stones above indicating a prior pediment.

One of multiple stone arches in the basement, each of which support the fireplaces on the floors above.

Jeff Marshall in the formal dining room where current fireplace masks a colonial era walk-in kitchen fireplace.

Many thanks to the many individuals involved in the preparation of this article: Jeff Marshall, Roy Ziegler, Bobbi Cross, David Newhart, Tom Williams, Wendy Appleton, Michelle Gunnells, Sandie Mines, Tom Lyon, and Vickie Lupisella.

If you own or reside in a historic property in New Hope and would be interested in having it featured in the “Beyond the Door” series, please contact us at Director@Newhopehistorical.org.

A year’s free Historical Society membership is now offered to those who allow us to feature their property.

Old School became the Little Shul

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:32:32 GMT

Beyond the Door

30 September 2025

Old School became the Little Shul

85 West Mechanic Street

29 August 2025

Kehilat HaNaHar, the Little Shul, today

High atop West Mechanic Street sits a turreted building dating back about 175 years. It was once a public school and later a stained-glass studio, restaurant, storage facility & apartments, and now a synagogue, Kehilat HaNahar, which is Hebrew for river congregation, and is affectionately called the Little Shul by the River. It was famously featured in Joseph Picket’s painting, Manchester Valley. That painting hung in the school for many years and is now owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ownership history of the property includes prominent New Hope names such as Parry, Coryell, Ely, and Minford. New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) archives volunteers were provided an informative interview and tour by founding synagogue members Carl Glassman and Abraham Liebson, as well as synagogue member and NHHS vice president, Abrey Light. Other content of this article is drawn from NHHS archives.

1832 title records show Parry Mansion owner Benjamin Parry selling this future school property to Lewis Slate Coryell, great grandson of ferry owner Emmanuel Coryell for whom New Hope was once named. New Hope Historical Society historian, Roy Zielgler, has written that the location is a “forest-like setting atop a hill where Washington’s troops defended the town from British troops by establishing a redoubt nearby.” For $115 it was sold again in 1848 during Lewis Slate Coryell’s bankruptcy. Interestingly the title records contain his name again in 1850 when the School District of the Borough of New Hope purchased the property for $300 and Coryell was listed as one of the district directors. An 1850 map of New Hope marks the property as “P.S.” It is estimated the building was built about that time, though a 1977 application to the Bucks County Register of Historic Places states it was built in the “early 1830’s”.

Early undated photo of school

It served the school district for the next nearly 90 years. By the 1930’s there were barracks style trailers on the downhill side of the school, housing the upper grades, while the elementary grades met in the original building. In 1931 the high school grades moved to the new New Hope High School (now New Hope Solebury High School) on West Bridge StreetiHigH, and by 1938 the elementary grades also were moved off the property. The NHHS archives contain many dated photos of students gathered outside the old school house, as well as one showing students sitting inside on pew-like benches in about 1907.

Barracks style trailers adjacent to school, likely about 1930

Students in school about 1907

After the students moved out the district sold the building and acreage to Valentine d’Ogries for $4000 in 1941. He was a stained-glass artist and used the premises for a studio. Mr. d’Ogries is listed on the Michener Art Museum Bucks County Artists Database noting his works may be found in churches in Chicago, IL, New Canaan, CT, and Trenton, NJ.

After d’Ogries died in 1959 the property ownership moved to Albert Huber who ran his restaurant, the Old School House Inn, from the site. News articles describe him as a rather eccentric gentleman and there are several amusing stories published about him. In his 1983 New Hope Gazette obituary it states “Legend has it Albert was once so incensed when a customer asked for ketchup to put on his potatoes that he ordered the diner to leave the restaurant.”

Albert Huber

By 1968 the title progressed to the Trevose Savings and Loan Association, and soon thereafter for $60,000 to New Hope restaurateur, Pamela Minford. She is known for her ownership of the Hacienda Inn and Restaurant and The Fabulous Fountainhead event venue (originally built as a private club by famed Bucks County author James Michener). In 1981 Ms. Minford became the first woman to win the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce’s Business Achievement Award. She used the upper floor of the old school building for storage and the lower floor was divided and rented as apartments. Minford is listed in the “Changemaker, Allies” section of the New Hope Celebrates website.

I n 1996 the 5500 square foot, 12 acre property ownership passed for $300,000 to Kehilat HaNahar, the Little Shul by the River. Many details about this part of the story were provided first person by the folks mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article. In the early 1990’s members of a local group that would go on to purchase the old school began meeting and holding Jewish services in local venues in Lambertville and the Solebury Meeting House. As their gathering size grew a member subset consisting of Carl Glassman, Howard Mann, Herb Sandor and John Larsen approached owner Pam Minford, and the sale was completed in December, 1997. The stairs from the first floor to the second floor were incomplete, so site inspection included dropping through a hole in the second floor to reach the first. The building required both cleaning out and extensive renovation. Dozens of old window AC units and metal beds in storage were removed along with old plates and silverware. Our interviewees state that New Hope Borough government has been very supportive during both renovation and operation of the synagogue.

When thick insulation was removed from the second-floor interior ceiling an old pressed tin ceiling was exposed and later repaired, complementing the pressed tin wall covering. As often as possible original features were preserved. New windows, now still trimmed by original woodwork, were donated by Frances Finkle of the Finkle's Hardware family. The original school bell had been transferred to the Bridge Street high school in 1932, and an 1838 replacement was located and installed in the belfry. Those who have climbed up to the belfry report a panoramic view of New Hope, Lambertville, and the Delaware River. Beautiful stained glasses were installed over the years in honor of various members and their families.

Detail showing tin ceiling exposed during renovation

The building appears to have been stone in the Joseph Picket painting, but is now stucco. It sits on a hill with an enclosed second floor foyer and south facing front entrance from a parking area. The first floor also has a north facing entrance as the hill slopes down. This non-enclosed, covered entrance leads to a series of rooms that are used for education, meeting and kitchen purposes. Exiting the lower entrance results in discovery of two sets of adjacent brick foundations, possibly the remains of boys’ and girls’ outhouses.

The upper foyer entrance (with a more recently installed staircase to the lower level), leads to offices, and two large sanctuary rooms separated by an original sliding door that can be raised to join the rooms into one. Cabinets and wainscoting are original. Tall ceilings and many windows wash the second-floor interior with light. Sanctuary furnishings include an Ark holding the Torah, lectern and Torah reader.

Carl Glassman and Abrey Light lifting sliding door

The sanctuary today where once public school held class

On June 24, 1998 the building was dedicated as a synagogue, becoming the first permanent Jewish religious structure in New Hope/Solebury. The congregation has grown from serving about 50 families in 1996 to about 130 families now drawing from both sides of the Delaware River as symbolized by the bridge in their logo. The adopted religious philosophy is Reconstructionist. Carl, Abraham and Abrey report that education and social action are core values. They add that in keeping with community as well as Reconstructionist values diversity is respected, including in religious observance, and with regard to gender and sexual orientation. Sandy Roth was the first rabbi involved since the early days, even prior to her completing studies at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She was succeeded by Rabbi Diana Miller, while the current rabbi is Janine Jankovitz.

Many thanks to Carl Glassman, Abraham Liebson, and Abrey Light for providing a generous interview and tour to help in creating this article.

New Hope Historical Society participants in the project included archives volunteers Michele Gunnels, David Hartman, Sandie Mines, and Tom Williams, and board member Tom Lyon.

If you are the owner of a historic New Hope property and are interested in sharing your property through our “Beyond the Door” series please contact us here: info@newhopehistorical.org . We would love to talk to you. Who knows, our archival files may contain information you may not know yet! Effective with our next publication a free one year membership in the New Hope Historical Society will be provided to interviewees.

The Northwood Farm- A Witness to History

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 03:51:45 GMT

The Northwood Farmhouse Today.

July 14, 2025

One of the oldest surviving structures in New Hope, Northwood Farmhouse, has stood watch over events significant in American history. Today it is the home of George and Frances Rhoads, who graciously allowed New Hope Historical Society archives committee members to interview them and to visit their historic home. George is a direct descendant, eight generations later, of Thomas Paxson, a Quaker, who purchased Northwood in 1763. It now sits behind the Maple Grove mansion, which is easily recognized from Bridge Street just east of New Hope-Solebury High School. Until 2002, Northwood was located 0.2 miles further back on what is now school property and was then reached by a gravel lane of which the existing Maple Grove driveway comprised the southern end. Northwood Farm's land extended north beyond the present Route 202. Thomas Paxson purchased Maple Grove Farm a few years after Northwood (items in the NHHS files indicate 1770). The combined holdings then comprised over 600 acres from Bridge Street to north of Rabbit Run, west to Sugan Road, and east to the Delaware River. This article is drawn from our visit with the Rhoads and the archives at the New Hope Historical Society.

Northwood was one of 6 local farms purchased by Thomas Paxson for his 6 sons, and Northwood was designated for his son, Oliver. Oliver Paxson would become the father of Jane Paxson, future wife of Benjamin Parry, also a Quaker, and first Parry owner of what we now call the Parry Mansion.

The date of the initial construction of Northwood has been estimated to be 1730-1740, with an addition dated to about 1763. The central part of the home is the oldest and initially consisted of a single room on each of four levels: first floor, second floor, attic and dirt floor basement. Acreage was sold over the generations for the sand pit, the canal, the railroad, and housing on North Main Street. Starting in the 1930’s the school district obtained ownership of successive pieces of Northwood Farm through purchase and eminent domain. This culminated in 1996, when the School District acquired all but 12 acres of the remaining farm including the farmhouse. The structure of Northwood was largely unchanged since the 18 ^th century and did not meet code for school purposes, so the school allowed the Rhoads to buy the house back for $1.00 with the proviso that they move it to their remaining 12-acre parcel. That move occurred in 2002, and after 4 years of renovation, George and Frances moved into the home. Modern frame additions were built on the west and south sides of the house, and the interior of the house was reconfigured to replace the original spiral stairs with a modern staircase. The colonial fireplace was retained, and now houses a gas-fired AGA cooker. Renovations exposed a small additional fireplace in the bedroom above the kitchen.

Colonial era fireplace with a modern AGA cooker.

The 18 ^th Century stone farmhouse was built in two sections, the first being made of “mountain stone,” quarried from nearby hills, and the second (with higher ceilings) from field stone (red shale) that underlies the flat areas of New Hope and Solebury. Kitchen ceiling beams are original, as are pumpkin pine floorboards. Early additions were not always added at the same level, so steps up and down occur as transitions are made from one part of the house to another. Staircases were both added and removed to accommodate contemporary use.

Interiors at Northwood Farm. The fireplace at right was uncovered during renovation.

As noted above, the mansion, called Maple Grove, that today sits south of Northwood Farm and fronts Bridge Street was acquired by Thomas Paxson in 1770. Additions were made by Thomas’ great grandson Elias Ely on the west side in 1823, and Elias Ely’s daughters Margaret Ely (Rhoads) and Ruthanna Ely (Paxson) in 1858 on the east side. The east side addition actually replaced an existing structure, but with Victorian architecture still visible from Bridge Street. Building materials removed from the existing structure in 1858 were then incorporated into the “yellow cottage” which was built to house tenants and still stands northwest of the big house. The above sisters Ruthanna and Margaret with their brother Richard eventually divided their property. Those divisions provided ownership of the mansion to Ruthanna when Margaret got married and moved away and Richard moved to Cintra across Bridge Street. Ruthanna married (another) Oliver Paxson, and Maple Grove was occupied year-round by their descendants and kin until about 1905.

Maple Grove, fronting Bridge Street.

For most of the 20th Century it was used by family as a seasonal vacation home. More recently it has been used by various family members and as a gathering place for regular family parties. The stone remains of the Maple Grove barnyard wall are located between Northwood and the mansion. A privy, smoke house, ice house and carriage house are still standing, but a previously existing barn is gone.

Barnyard wall at location of former barn just south of the current location of Northwood Farm.

The Rhoads retain a number of early 19th Century artifacts from the properties including a collection of early Quaker quilts, old family bibles, and the day books of Hugh Ely, grain merchant and brother-in-law of Benjamin Parry. Hugh was the one-time owner of the property, and is third great grandfather of current resident, George Rhoads.

George Washington’s troops camped twice on the Maple Grove property, in 1776 before the battle of Trenton, and in 1778 before the battle of Monmouth. Martha Washington was said to have stayed in Northwood when troops camped nearby. Thomas Paxson was owner at the time and a Quaker, a religion strongly associated with pacifism. His specific feelings about an army on his property are not known. George and Frances are members of Solebury Friends Meeting, continuing the Quaker tradition that has survived the generations.

While George and Frances Rhoads live in the Northwood Farmhouse, the entire collection of buildings and property is jointly owned by a partnership with other descendants of the Paxson, Ely and Rhoads families. Remaining acreage is no longer farmed, being too small a parcel to make that practical.

George’s father was a well -known surgeon for whom the Rhoads Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is named. George and Frances were both also trained as physicians. George had a long research career and served for many years as Associate Dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University, and Frances practiced and taught pediatrics in a number of academic and practice settings, most recently at Hunterdon Medical Center.

Many thanks to George and Frances Rhoads for allowing us to tour their home and interview them. We are also grateful for the valuable feedback they provided affecting the completeness and accuracy of this article prior to publication.

Participants in preparation of this article included NHHS executive director Kate Brindle, President Bobbi Cross, Board Member Tom Lyon, and volunteer Tom Williams.

Formerly a Doctor’s Office, Now a Bed and Breakfast- The Aaron Burr House

Mon, 19 May 2025 02:48:10 GMT

The Aaron Burr House , 80 W. Bridge St., today.

May 19, 2025

New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) volunteers recently visited The Aaron Burr House , at 80 West Bridge Street. This historic property has had several uses over the years, including doctor’s office, dentist’s office, personal residence, and bed and breakfast.

Records in the NHHS archives indicate the current structure was not present in the 1850 atlas, and was built in 1873 on land that was once part of the large Paxson estate. That estate once extended from Bridge Street north to Rabbit Run (where North Main Street crosses the Delaware Canal) and all the way east to the Delaware River from where the high school is situated today. The 1873 building was built directly across Chestnut street from the famed Washington Chestnut tree, where legend has it that George Washington tied up his horse at the time of the Battle of Trenton. The tree and Washington were famously depicted years afterward by New Hope folk artist Joseph Pickett in his work “Washington under the Council Tree.” Pickett’s art now hangs in the Museum of Modern Art and other museums. The tree stood until 1893.

NHHS archives show the second owner was J. Ernest Scott, MD and wife Elizabeth Scott starting in 1902. In a 1979 entry to the files, prolific archivist Ann Niessen adds: “The New Hope News for July 5, 1907 tells us that Dr. Scott chaired a movement to have two cannons placed at 2 of the 3 known redoubt sites in the Borough during the American Revolution. Dr. Scott spoke at the prestigious dedication ceremonies for this event. Those residents of New Hope who remember the cannon in front of Dr. Scott’s house tell us it was cast of solid bronze.” The cannon at the corner of Bridge and Ferry Streets was removed “sometime after the Second World War” per Niessen.

Searches continue for documentation relating to Aaron Burr and a New Hope connection. Burr’s father was second president of the nearby College of New Jersey, now Princeton University.

Undated photo of cannon (placed in 1907) at corner of Bridge and Chestnut Streets, from the book “Not Built by Human Hands” by Joseph DiPaolo, page 134. House shown is a home that still stands across Chestnut Street from the Aaron Burr House which is not shown and would be to the right.

1977 photo of 80 West Bridge Street from NHHS archives.

The Aaron Burr House was originally a large 2 ½ story Victorian clapboard single family dwelling featuring 3 ornately carved wood gables. It was soon put into use as both a downstairs doctor’s office with an upstairs for the residence of the doctor and family. Three separate building entrances were used for patients, family and neighbors. Physician exam rooms on the first floor were later used by a dentist whose Bunsen burner gas hookup can still be found there. On the second floor is a dining area, living room and kitchen, once a personal residence and in recent decades used by guests of the bed and breakfast. Today, elegant bedrooms (sleeping up to 17) with private baths are located throughout the building, including the basement which is partially above ground. A more modern addition exists on the Northern side of the building.

Second floor views of living room and dining area.

By 1990 Carl Glassman and Nadine Silnutzer owned this bed and breakfast as well as the Wedgwood Inn on Bridge Street. In 2017 ownership was transferred to Lisa Pretecrum who maintains the bed and breakfast to this day. She reports two lots were joined together under the Glassman/Silnutzer ownership. Ms. Pretecrum also owns another New Hope bed and breakfast, Porches on the Towpath , 20 Fishers Alley, for the last 4 years.

Historic markers on façade.

Many thanks to Lisa Pretecrum for sharing her business and its history with us.

NHHS Board Member and volunteer Tom Lyon as well as volunteers Michele Gunnells, Sandie Mines, and Tom Williams participated in preparing this article.

Methodists, Marsha Brown, and Oldstone Steakhouse

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 23:00:27 GMT

April 14, 2025

One of the most prominent buildings in New Hope today is found at the current location of the Oldestone Steakhouse . For 125 years it was the home of the New Hope Methodists, under various names including the New Hope Methodist Episcopal and New Hope United Methodist Church. The history of this building is intertwined with the history of New Hope and helps inform us about how societal trends impacted our community. To prepare this article, volunteers from the New Hope Historical Society met and toured the building with current Oldestone owner/partner, Michael Sklar. They also spoke with Walter Jennings who was born while his father pastored the church in the 1940’s. Rev. Joseph F. DiPaolo was also interviewed. He was pastor of the church from 1992 to its last service on Main Street in 1999 and was the first pastor after it then moved to Aquetong Road in Solebury. Rev. DiPaolo wrote lengthy and well-documented histories (1,2) of Methodism and other religious entities in New Hope and nearby areas covering the years 1818-2003. These sources, coupled with the archives of the New Hope Historical Society, provided the content of this article.

Rev. DiPaolo writes in his book that in the early years of Bucks County’s development, residents were largely Quakers, with a local meeting house built on Sugan Road in Solebury by 1805. In addition to Quakers, Bucks County was home to Scots Irish Presbyterians. They formed the first New Hope Sunday school in 1818 and met in what was known then as the Academy, still standing at 129 Bridge Street. It was in the Academy that the first Methodist congregation in New Hope also met by 1818: the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church which later took the name Mt. Moriah and drew congregants from the African American community. In 1830, another Methodist group began meeting at the Sutton home on W. Mechanic Street, drawing from the White community. By 1837, a simple wood-frame church building had been built at the southwest corner of West Mechanic Street and New Street, the first such structure in New Hope. The second great awakening in America (1795-1835) was occurring and by 1845 there were 12 churches in the area of New Hope, Solebury and what was then called Lambert’s Ville.

The building at 15 South Main Street was built 1873-1874 on land between the Logan House (now the Logan Inn) and the then newly constructed Crook home (now the Mansion Inn). The land was purchased for $600, having once been part of tracts owned by well-known New Hope historical figures: Richard Heath, Benjamin Canby, John Coryell, and Joseph Stockton. The church architect was James Bird, and the stone mason was Peter S. Naylor. By the time it was completed it was valued at $14,000. It replaced the Methodist church on Mechanic Street, for which no known photos exist today. A newspaper at the time reported the prior church was in a bad location and in dilapidated condition. The old Methodist cemetery still exists adjacent to the parking lot driveway from Mechanic Street to the New Hope Borough Municipal Office. Rev. DiPaolo reports that a cemetery clean-up in 1959 resulted in some gravestones not being placed in their original location.

A selection from the 1887 JH Battle “History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania” in the New Hope Historical Society archives describes the Main Street church building as a gothic sandstone structure, and the “finest Methodist Episcopal church in the county” (3). It goes on to describe the building consisting of two floors. On the first floor was a “vestibule, classroom, infant school, and Sunday school room,” while the second floor was the sanctuary or “audience room.”

Over the years the church building was modified and modernized. The stained-glass windows were installed in 1903, but a flood delayed project completion. In 1907, electricity was added. In 1927, there was a renovation. Yet again in 1954, the sanctuary was remodeled with the pews becoming white rather than natural wood color. In 1974, significant changes were made by removing two sets of spiral stairs that led from the front entrance foyer to the sanctuary above, allowing construction of bathrooms in their place. A new central staircase rose past the front doors to the sanctuary necessitating the removal of some pews and flooring and allowing the creation of new rooms on either side of the sanctuary. One of these rooms would become the choir room. After 100 years of no bell in the belltower a bell was donated and hung there from 1975 until it was removed to the new Methodist church building on Aquetong Road, Solebury Township, in 1999. An elevator was installed in 1985.

A 1978 nomination for the Bucks County of Historic Places mentions a third floor (presumably the choir loft, now a dining area), intact family-sponsored memorial stained-glass windows (still extant), original wood pews, and a straight, central stairway from the vestibule to the sanctuary.

The church building on Main Street has been used for several purposes over the years. Of course it was a place for Methodists to hold services, attend Sunday school and socialize. However, local high school graduations, including the first such graduation in 1898 when there were just two graduates. It also hosted meetings of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, AA, concerts, recitals, and Red Cross events during World War I. The church building also served as a retail venue of shops following the departure of the Methodists to Solebury in 1999. From 2003 to 2021 it was Marsha Brown’s restaurant. And now, since 2022, this historic church building has housed the Oldestone Steakhouse.

Walter Jennings’ father, Ellsworth, was pastor of the New Hope Methodist church on Main Street from 1942-1947, during which time Walter was born. Walter recalls his aunt, Mildred Mulvey, moved in with the family in New Hope during World War II while her husband served in the military. Mulvey then worked as a librarian at New Hope High School. In addition, Walter’s brother, William “Lee” Jennings, graduated from the same high school. Walter recalls his mother was an artist who appreciated the beauty of the area, as well as the art community.

During a tour of the building by New Hope Historical Society volunteers and Oldestone owner/partner Michael Sklar in February 2025, multiple areas of the building were observed to have remained intact since its days as a Methodist church, while other parts had changed. Still intact were many stained-glass windows, and the large sanctuary space. Changes included placement of dining tables where pews once stood, addition of a large Valery Belenekin mural where the pulpit had been located, and placement of a bar and lounge on the entry floor where Sunday school once was held. When the presence of a bar was mentioned to Rev. DiPaolo he wondered out loud what the Methodists would think of that. The bar is from the 1800’s era. It was located by the current owners and brought up from a store in Philadelphia. Behind the bar and lounge is the restaurant kitchen. The central stairway mentioned above was repositioned during building use as a restaurant. The stairs now rise to the east at the southern side of the entrance area, rather than to the west from the middle of the entrance area. This allows visitors an immediate view of a bar and lounge area on entering. Gold-colored metal steps were also installed and rise to a dining area in the prior choir loft. Below the bar/kitchen level is a large basement, excavated in the 1920’s, and used now as a storage area. It was under water in floods such as in 1955.

The church contemplated various mergers and combinations with other congregations over the years as membership waxed and waned. One of the most significant such discussions led to the closure of the New Hope Presbyterian Church on Ferry Street when its membership transferred to the Methodist Church (thus the Presbyterians becoming Methodists) on Main Street in 1970. The prior Presbyterian church building still stands and now houses the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury. In 1992, the Lumberville United Methodist Church would close its doors, and the congregation joined the newly named New Hope-Lumberville United Methodist Church on Main Street.

By the 1990’s, the surrounding area was developing, new homes were being built on once undeveloped areas and farmland, more people were driving to church rather than walking. The decades had seen a transition from an industrial economy to a tourist one. Parking for congregants was problematic, especially on weekends drawing many tourists. A decision was made to move off Main Street, and the Stoop property on Aquetong Road in Solebury was purchased as a location for both a parsonage and a church. When the first service was held there in 2000 the church became known as the Solebury United Methodist Church.

Back In the 1890’s a parsonage for the Methodist minister and family was built at the corner of Bridge and Chestnut Street. It is still standing across Chestnut St. from the now Aaron Burr House. The Bridge St. parsonage was sold by the Methodists in 1971, and a new one was bought on Sunset Drive in the Borough. The Sunset Drive home was later sold when the Stoop property was obtained.

In 1998, the church building on Main Street was sold for $750,000 to Key West resident Patricia McKenna who was interviewed in the New Hope Gazette of Aug 20, 1998. She stated she intended to use the first floor for antique shops and an artist’s cooperative, and the second floor for a “community arts center for the performing arts.”

By 2003, it was in ownership by Marsha Brown. She modified the interior into an elegant restaurant with a New Orleans flair. Changes she made included installation of the ornate metal gold-colored staircase, repositioning of the main staircase, and a change of the sanctuary and the choir loft into dining areas. In 2021, ownership again transferred to new partners, Michael Sklar and Wilfer Naranjo. They also made changes that included new décor, a new carpet, the bar noted above, and a raw bar.

Many thanks to all the folks who were so generous in letting us explore the history of this prominent New Hope property with them. Special thanks to New Hope Historical Society archives volunteer Wendy Appleton for her assistance in gathering this information and helping contact Rev. Joseph DiPaolo and Walter Jennings.

New Hope Historical Society archives volunteers Tom Lyon and Tom Williams were involved in creating this article.

Buttonwood Street Home was Once a Stable across Bridge Street at the Old Hip-Roof House

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:35:23 GMT

Buttonwood Street in New Hope is just one block north on Chestnut Street from Bridge Street. This article will focus on one home on Buttonwood, but also remark on other interesting properties nearby. The subject home on Buttonwood was once a stable located on the Bridge Street property now known as the Wedgwood Inn Bed and Breakfast. The inn is clearly visible from Buttonwood Street. At a recent visit to the property on Buttonwood the current owner related that the stable was built in 1833, and at least partially supporting that assertion was the hand-hewn post and beam construction found under the walls during modern renovations. Such construction was most common from the mid-17th to the mid-19th centuries.

As stated in our earlier "Beyond the Door" article about the Wedgwood Inn, the building now housing the inn was constructed in 1870 on the stone foundation of an earlier "old hip-roof" house built in 1720. The Buttonwood property owner says the stable was moved to its current location in the 1940's or 1950's and then was used by a blacksmith, and later an upholsterer. In 1958 it was converted to a home. If the stable dates to 1833, it must have been present during the time of both the original 1720 house as well as the still extant 1870 building now housing the Wedgwood Inn.

Wedgwood Inn owner Carl Glassman related in an interview for this article, that when he and his wife acquired the future Wedgwood property in 1982, there was evidence of a barn foundation to the rear of the house at the southwest corner. For purposes of this article "stable" and "barn" will be used interchangeably.

This would be located similarly to a like structure on the next-door Umpleby House. Glassman relates that the original driveway would have passed near the house and reached the stable entrance just behind it. Glassman also states that a prior owner of the later Wegwood Inn intended to build his own new home in the area of the barn (perhaps tearing down the 1870 house), but that plan never came to fruition. The barn location is now paved and the foundation remains are no longer visible.

The 1948 Franklin Survey Company map of Solebury and New Hope does not yet show the presence of Buttonwood Street, though Chestnut Street seems to be shown, but not named there. Immediately west of the end of Buttonwood Street is the historic Paxson Estate, Maple Grove, containing the mansion adjacent to the New Hope Solebury High School and still visible today from Bridge Street. Per the archival records, held at the New Hope Historical Society, the original land was purchased by Thomas Paxson about 1763 and grew to 634 acres. The land extended to the Delaware River. Maps from 1876 and 1891 show that Paxson descendants still own substantial acreage.

A Paxson descendant, and current resident of Maple Grove, Dr. George Rhoads, was also interviewed for this article. Dr. Rhoads believes his grandparents sold off lots on Chestnut and Buttonwood Streets to help further his father's college education. According to local legend, there used to be a large Chestnut tree on Maple Grove, either near or on the current location of Buttonwood and Chestnut Streets, which was used by George Washington to tie up his horse around the time of the Battle of Trenton. This tree was famously depicted by Joseph Pickett.

A copy of title records, held in the archives at the New Hope Historical Society, dates only back to 1949 for the Buttonwood home that began as a stable. Several changes of ownership occurred over the subsequent decades with current owners in place since 2008.

The home was modified several times over the decades, adding and expanding rooms. A major renovation occurred in 2004. The original walls of the stable are still standing, though now covered. The moved stable was placed on a slab, while steps up and down between rooms offer some evidence of the stable's foundation when it was on Bridge Street. A low ceiling on the second level was raised and vaulted. Original pine planks are found on the second floor as well. In the yard, bricks were found and the owner speculates the property may have once been used as a disposal area for the Paxson estate.

Incidentally, while researching this property, NHHS Historian Roy Ziegler informed us that less than a block away from today's subject home, there is another home that was relocated from elsewhere in New Hope. In order to make way for the railroad tracks, this second relocated structure was moved from Ferry Street and now occupies the southeast corner of Buttonwood and Chestnut Streets. That home has connections to two of our earlier "Beyond the Door" articles. While on Ferry Street, it was occupied by the great-grandparents of the current Newhart descendant of the Osmond/Newhart House ( Osmond/Newhart House ), and by 1944 it was owned on Chestnut Street by Ray and Laura Worthington ( New Hope Arts ).

Many thanks to all who were interviewed and shared the history of their property with us.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this article are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Tom Lyon

Tom Williams

Parry‘s General Provisions Store

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:53:57 GMT

October 2024

Situated directly across Main Street from New Hope Historical Society’s Parry Mansion is one of the oldest surviving buildings in New Hope, now housing several commercial ventures including Farley’s Bookshop. The New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) archives include a copy of Margaret Bye Richie’s extensive and well-documented review of historic buildings in New Hope for her 1987 academic dissertation in the University of Pennsylvania Department of American Civilization. In it, she noted that the northern portion of the building was built circa 1748 and was represented on Benjamin Parry’s 1798 map as “No. 21”, while the southern portion was built circa 1830 near the time of the canal construction. Her 1980’s conversation with local architect Donald Hedges quoted him that in 1940 a sign stating “Parry’s General Store” still hung on the building. The Parry Store was likely the first provisions store in New Hope.

Ann Niessen, who from about 1977-1981 also did substantial research and documentation of the more than 200 historic buildings of New Hope (resulting in the designation of the district on the National Register of Historic Places) wrote an architectural description of the Parry Store building in 1979: “large sand plaster over fieldstone double store structure [that] was built to be a store and built in two sections….The north section has undergone severe alteration to the first level of the west (street) elevation. A wood and glass lite double entrance door is flanked by two newer multi-lite glass bow windows……Utilitarian and practical from the outset, subject structure has undergone many structural changes in its 220 odd years.”

The original thousand-acre Heath tract encompassing much of the region was eventually split into the ferry tract to the north and the mill tract to the south. It was divided by what is now called Ferry Street. Early resident Benjamin Canby inherited the mill tract from his father, Thomas, and likely constructed a store that later became the Parry Store. In 1745 Canby also acquired a portion of the ferry tract, including the ferry and tavern, from John Wells. Also owning a sawmill and forge along Ingham (Aquetong) Creek, Canby’s store was just one of his commercial enterprises. Canby’s store, along with the Parry Barn, the adjacent Parry Salt Store (now the Salt House restaurant), the Parry Mill (now the Bucks County Playhouse), the Ferry Tavern (now the Logan Inn), the Ferry Landing, and the nearby Parry Mansion and Vansant House comprise some of the most historic structures in New Hope, all nearly within sight of each other.

By 1789 ownership of the provisions store building had passed to Benjamin Parry’s brother, Thomas. In 1791 title records show Benjamin, eventual Parry Mansion owner and “father of New Hope,” became the store owner for 1380 pounds. Richie notes an 1817 letter from an indentured servant of Cintra Mansion (now recently torn down) builder William Maris in which the young French woman states her son is working in the biggest store in town, run by Daniel Parry (brother of Benjamin). The woman notes the store included a meat department.

Long-term New Hope residents and NHHS members Wendy Appleton and David Newhart both recall that co-op as being the grocery store in town, with the main competition being the Acme and an A&P in Lambertville. The larger grocery stores on Rtes 179 and 202 did not come along until years later. During the co-op era, there were several apartments and an office upstairs. Well-known artist Joseph Crilley lived in one of the apartments with his family from 1949 to 1955, leaving just prior to the 1955 flood that inundated Main Street. In an interview for this article, Crilley’s daughter, Geraldine Raymond, recalled walking over to see the shocking flood around her prior home. She also reminisced that her mother seemed to prefer the grocery stores in Lambertville, finding the co-op prices a bit steep. Arthur Ricker, founder of the New Hope Historical Society, lived just two doors north on the east side of Main Street in a home that still stands as a commercial business now.

Letters in the files of the NHHS archives from 1959-1960 show that the NHHS had at one time expressed an interest in owning the Parry Store building. However, when it became available for sale from the co-op there was a pending sale of the Parry Mansion to the society resulting in a need to shift resources to that purpose instead.

Following the closing of the co-op, the building was owned and occupied by Joe Welter’s and Lenny Shewell’s Washington Square Antiques. Then in 1971 James and Nancy Farley obtained ownership and moved their bookstore to 44 South Main Street from its prior location now occupied by Amelia’s restaurant on Ferry Street. The Farleys had been at that Ferry Street location since 1967 when they had bought the prior Delaware Bookshop.

NHHS “Beyond the Door” volunteers recently visited and interviewed one of the current Farley’s Bookshop owners, Charley Balfour, as well as long-term employee Julian Karhumaa. Charley Balfour, Buffy, and Katie Hastings were also long-term Farleys employees and purchased the store from the daughters of James and Nancy Farley. Charley Balfour reported that both author James Michener, and TV personality Fred Rogers, helped the Farleys financially get on their feet with their new business. Julian Karhumaa stated that the book-selling business has changed significantly over the years since he began there in 1985, with much reduced foot traffic due to online booksellers and chain stores. Both Balfour and the Farley daughters lived in upstairs apartments at different times. A major renovation in 2023 resulted in a reconfigured Farley’s retail area with reduced storage space. It also resulted in a new separate retail space on the north end of the building, now occupied by Steam Soapery. During the early Farleys era, another retail space in the south end (the portion built in the 1830’s) of the building was occupied by retailer, Strawberry Jam. That area is now New Hope Spa by Voupre.

Many thanks to the folks from Farley’s, and Geraldine Raymond, as well as the NHHS members Wendy Appleton and David Newhart, for their participation in this article.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Michele Gunnells

Tom Lyon

Sandie Mines

David Newhart

Tom Williams

Canal-side House Pre-dates the Canal

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:35:30 GMT

New Hope Historical Society archives volunteers recently met with Ernie Bowman at the historic home he shares with his wife Dee Dee at 116 New Street. This home is the south side of a stone double house that was built facing east over 200 years ago, before the construction of the Delaware Canal which now borders the home in its backyard. After the canal was built and New Street was constructed the front door was changed to the west side of the house facing New Street. Due to the slope of the land towards the canal, the original second floor became the first floor entering from New Street. The original first floor was transformed into an above-ground basement with an outdoor entrance facing the canal. Ernie Bowman believes prior to the canal being built by 1834, that the future towpath near the house may have been used as a carriage path.

New Hope Historical Society archives files indicate the house was likely built by Joshua Vansant. When Ernie and Dee Dee purchased the home in 1982, much of the original woodwork inside the home was intact and to this day has never been significantly altered. Although the 1983 nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places for the “New Hope Village District” lists the house as being built in 1805, during renovations of the now basement level, a penny from 1817 was discovered under the floor, perhaps indicating that as the date of construction.

New Hope Historical Society member Ann Niessen did extensive research from about 1977 to 1981, populating both the National Register nomination form for “New Hope Village” and the current New Hope Historical Society archives. There she writes that the double house was part of the Joshua Vansant plantation. She adds that Vansant acquired the 95 acres from his father-in-law Joseph Wilkinson in 1798. In 1823 Vansant bequeathed all of his holdings to his daughter, Mary. In 1834 Mary bequeathed all of her holdings to her husband, Lewis Slate Coryell, a descendant of the Coryells for whom New Hope was once named. Prior articles in the Beyond the Door series have mentioned this colorful character who had many real estate holdings in New Hope and who served as the Confederacy-sympathizing New Hope burgess (mayor) at the time of the Civil War. Ann Niessen adds that because this home is fieldstone, “indications are quite strong that it was built by Joshua Vansant just at the turn of the 19 ^th century. The earliest atlas on which subject structure appears is the 1850 Rogerson & Murphy Survey Map.”

A photo from the 1920s shows a hose raised to the roof where damage from a fire can be seen. Also seen is an array of beehives situated between the house and the canal. The likely original arched dormers are seen in the photo. Subsequently, the dormers were changed to the pedimented gable dormers seen in the photo that leads this article.

The house passed through multiple owners over two centuries, and the owner from 1960 to 1981 used a portion of the home as a beauty parlor as well as a chair caning establishment. Ernie Bowman states that it reached a sheriff sale in 1981 selling for less than $1000 prior to it being acquired by him and his wife for considerably more. They then moved the kitchen from the cellar level to the street level into the room once used as the beauty parlor. They discovered shutters in the attic and had them rehung. Basement renovations exposed an existing fireplace, bringing the number of fireplaces in the home to four. On the level just above street level, they converted one of the original three bedrooms to a bathroom. In the attic, there is an additional bedroom and bathroom.

Architecturally each side of the double house is an approximate mirror image of the other. Georgian-style features are evident. A late 19th-century open wood porch spans the complete width of the double house on the New Street side. Pedimented dormers on the attic level were likely added in the mid-19th century per Ann Niessen’s research. On the canal side at the east (rear) elevation, there is a two-story, sloped roof, one-room deep clapboard addition.

Both current owners, Ernie, and Dee Dee Bowman, served on the New Hope Historical Society board in the past, with Ernie managing Parry Mansion maintenance and repairs and Dee Dee serving as president. Many thanks to them for their prior service and for sharing their historic home with us.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Michele Gunnells

Tom Lyon

Sandie Mines

David Newhart

Tom Williams

New Hope Arts

Tue, 28 May 2024 13:40:09 GMT

2 Stockton Avenue, at the corner of Stockton Avenue and Bridge Streets, has been the site of multiple enterprises over more than two centuries. Most recently it has been owned and occupied by New Hope Arts, Inc. and their tenants. Volunteers from the New Hope Historical Society recently met with Joyce Worthington Homan, whose grandfather, father, and uncle were the owners of the property from about 1920-1968. We also met with and toured the property with the current executive director of New Hope Arts, Christine Ramirez. We explored both the current use of the location as well as its historical uses. New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) archives were also used in preparation of this article.

The earliest NHHS files show a 1799 title transfer from John Beaumont to Eli Doan. One online source states Eli Doan was a descendant of the infamous Doan family. The Doan Boys had been known as the “outlaws and loyalists” during the Revolutionary War. At this writing, Eli Doan’s connection to that family is not known to be otherwise documented.

By 1830, title transfers mention a dwelling at this location. Within a few years of that the Delaware Canal was constructed just east of the property. By 1844 a title transfer from Hiram Ely to Britton Ely mentions 'stone house, frame kitchen, soap factory and stable.'” NHHS files contain a 1977 architectural description of the building as being built between 1850-1880 as a factory shop and foundry, with the construction being sandplaster over brick. By 1850 the property was owned by Charles B. Knowles, husband of Margaret Parry who was the daughter of Parry Mansion and New Hope Flour Mill owner Benjamin Parry.

It presumably continued as a soap factory under Knowles's ownership as an 1865 title transfer to a new owner mentions that enterprise. By 1869 it was being used as a blacksmith shop and storehouse, and by 1906 it was a machine shop when John W. Kooker bought the property and began its use as a sausage factory. Sausage was easily shipped to markets in Philadelphia along either the Delaware Canal on the east side of the building, or the railroad on the west side.

Kooker also began the use of the upper floor (now New Hope Arts exhibition area) as an auditorium for local events and named it Kooker Hall. In 1919, local Solebury farmer Harry Worthington secured ownership of the former Joseph Pickett home, directly across Bridge Street, and began to use it as an automobile showroom. The Worthington’s were descendants of early settlers in the area. Ancestors William and wife Mary Michener Worthington settled just north of New Hope in the Rabbit Run area in the early 1800’s.

In 1920, Harry Worthington bought what we now call the New Hope Arts building. For the next 5 decades, it remained in Worthington family hands as Worthington’s Garage and Sales. The main business was selling cars and doing car repairs. Car sales included being a Willy’s and Overland Agency, and at various times selling Chryslers and Plymouths. Delco Farm Lighting Company systems and water pumps were also sold there. Delco systems allowed farmers to have electricity without the need to pay to draw expensive electric lines to remote properties.

Upstairs from the Worthington car businesses the auditorium was renamed Worthington Hall. Up until 1952 when the New Hope Solebury High School built a gym, it was used for school events such as plays and high school graduations, as well as for other local community events run by the American Legion, and the New Hope Presbyterian Church. A photo from the 1930's shows the stage with ads for local businesses around it, including for the Worthington car business, and Cryer’s Hardware. Joyce W. Homan recalled, with regret, the existence of minstrel shows in the auditorium in the 1930's.

Harry Worthington’s sons, Raymond and Walter, continued the car business until 1968, while Harry Worthington’s other three sons operated the Worthington Brothers Chevrolet dealership on South Main Street at what is now the Ferry Market. Raymond is the father of Joyce Worthington Homan who provided valuable information for this article.

By 1946 Stephen J. and Julia Gerenser opened an ice cream store on Main Street and in 1969 they bought 2 Stockton Avenue for their ice cream factory. At one time a fencing academy occupied the second floor prior to its moving to Lambertville, NJ where it remains today.

Gerenser's son, Bob, inherited the operation and reopened the auditorium as the S.J. Gerenser Theater. Bob, one of the portrayers of George Washington at annual events in Washington’s Crossing, died in 2016. Prior to his passing, the property came under the control of the Scannapieco family, owners of a local development company. Tom Scannapieco, a supporter of the New Hope Arts organization, arranged for the former auditorium space to be used for their art exhibitions at a nominal cost. New Hope Arts had been founded in 2003, and in 2008 the property came under their full ownership, in part through generous donations including those of the Scannapieco family.

Nowadays the property, while entirely owned by New Hope Arts, Inc., is used for both exhibition space on the 2 ^nd (auditorium) floor, as well as reduced rate studio space for five local artists on the first floor, each with an individual exterior entrance. As the land gives way on the canal side of the building, what is the first floor on Stockton Avenue is one story above the canal on the other side. New Hope Arts currently rents some retail space and the Italian Cucina restaurant space on the first floor as well.

Artists with studios include Cathy Beggs’ “43 Canal Studio”, Donna Lillo’s stained-glass studio, Christian Kowalchuk’s digital, traditional painting, laser cutting, and woodworking area, Ronni Nicole’s studio of works on paper and plaster, Scrambled Gallery of Gifts, run by artist Hope Gaburo who showcases several local artists’ work in many mediums, along with her own oil paintings, and Christina Galagarza’s workshop featuring mixed media, oils, acrylic, and jewelry. Kowalchuk’s studio is at the southeast corner of the building and was used for coal storage during the car showroom years according to Joyce Worthington Homan.

In 2023 extensive renovations of the building were completed including the installation of a handicapped accessible elevator. Long-term Mayor of New Hope, Larry Keller, is the current chairperson of the board of New Hope Arts, and executive director, Christine Ramirez, tells of future plans to use the 2nd-floor auditorium space not just for art exhibitions, but also for theater, concerts, dances and workshops. The current basement storage space may also someday be renovated for workshop, lounge, and kitchen use. The current exhibition is the 21 ^st annual sculpture exhibition through June 7.

Many thanks to Joyce Worthington Homan, Christine Ramirez, and New Hope Arts for sharing this historic information and property with us.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Michele Gunnells

Sandie Mines

David Newhart

Tom Lyon

Tom Williams

Addendum: New Hope Historical Society archives volunteer Tom Lyon recently met with community member John Danaher who provided additional information about the history of 2 Stockton Avenue.

John, a musician who currently serves as president, executive director, and producer of the Lambertville New Hope Winter Festival, arrived in New Hope about 1970 and was good friends with Bob Gerenser. Gerenser inherited the building from his parents when it was an ice cream factory. John lived nearby and recalls fabulous Halloween parties in the then SJ Gerenser Theater during the 1970’s. That venue also housed plays and served as a meeting spot for the Independent Merchants Association, of which John was a member. He also recalled there was a resident who made his home on the third floor approximately 25 years ago. John recollected a time soon after he arrived in New Hope when “Mechanic Street was like Haight-Ashbury” and the “hippies” who congregated there had to keep moving as the authorities would not permit them to sit still.

Interestingly John reports that when Stockton Avenue was repaved the railroad tracks on Stockton were found to have a spur that ran just south of New Hope Arts. Reasonable speculation suggests these were used by the Kooker Sausage entity to ship sausage to Philadelphia.

Many thanks to John Danaher for providing this additional information.

The Coryell House (AKA, Havana)

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:40:13 GMT

A notable structure in New Hope with a most interesting history is located at 105 S. Main Street, now housing Havana restaurant, bar, and concert venue. This location is said to have been the home of John Coryell (1730-1799) in the mid 1700’s. John was the son of early ferry operator Emmanuel Coryell who died in 1748 and willed the New Jersey side of the ferry to his son, Abraham. In 1764 Abraham’s brother John Coryell bought the ferry rights on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River from John Wells. At the time of the American Revolution, both sides of the river were known as Coryell’s Ferry.

New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) Beyond the Door volunteers recently met with Havana owner, Mark Stevens, who provided a tour and information on the recent history of the property. A review of records in the NHHS archives provided additional relevant insight, as did literature including A Hot Bed of Secession: New Hope and the Civil War by Joseph F. DiPaolo, and History of Bucks County by William Watts Hart Davis.

The portion of the building that is to the rear or west of the structure underwent some construction in recent years and Mr. Stevens reports that wooden pegs serving as nails were discovered there. That is suggestive that this is an older section, perhaps dating to the days of John Coryell. When viewing the structure from the street, the part of the building that rises three stories on the northern end was likely built in the mid-1830s by Daniel Parry, younger brother of the mill owner Benjamin Parry, known as "the father of New Hope". It was then purchased by Lewis Slate Coryell (1788-1865), grandson of John Coryell.

Lewis Slate Coryell is a very interesting character in the history of New Hope. He was born In Coryell’s Ferry (later Lambertville), NJ in 1788. NHHS archive records show he was involved in building and owning multiple New Hope properties. In addition, with Joseph Murray, Coryell had a lumber mill and was involved in the local construction of the Delaware Canal. Interestingly the canal ran through the rear of his property on Main Street making him potentially a beneficiary of canal-related funds as both a contractor and landowner.

In the above-mentioned book by Joseph DiPaolo, the author notes that New Hope was “solidly democratic” in the 1860 presidential election casting only 87 of 213 votes for Abraham Lincoln. During the war, Lewis Slate Coryell was one of the Northern democrats who were not sympathetic to the Union’s prosecution of the Civil War. Coryell was twice elected to one-year terms as burgess (mayor) of New Hope during the war. When the governor of Pennsylvania called for militia recruits at the time of the threatened incursion of Lee’s troops into Gettysburg, Coryell is quoted in the local press as telling his townsmen to stay home and tend to their crops. At his last New Hope council meeting on March 3, 1864, minutes reflect he said that the war “…has assumed gigantic proportions and has afforded the administration pretext to assume for military necessity despotic rule to deprive our citizens of the benefit of our common inheritance in the constitution and protection of the laws…”

In the home of Lewis Slate Coryell, we find multiple period architectural elements. There are third-floor dormers, and windows are mullioned sash with small glass panes. Original front parlor floor-length windows are still evident from inside the north end of the restaurant seating area (see photos below). In addition, original molding can be seen. Recent interior modifications expanded first-floor fireplaces while incorporating their authentic stones in the expansions.

At a landing between the 2 ^nd and 3 ^rd floors is access to a “secret room” that legend says may have served as a hiding spot on the underground railroad. Additional legend asserts that Coryell family friend Aaron Burr hid there after his duel with Alexander Hamilton, though at this point there is no known documentation of that other than modern-day media articles. Moreover, John Coryell died in 1799, while the Burr-Hamilton duel was in 1804. Our records do not reflect who owned the property in 1804 (perhaps Daniel Parry), but Lewis Coryell did not acquire the property until 1834 and would have been only 16 in 1804 at the time of the Burr-Hamilton duel.

Third-floor space dating to the 1830s is used as a dressing room for the Havana entertainers that have included Ray Davies of The Kinks, Dr. John, Rick Derringer, Blues Traveler, Eddie Money, Steve Forbert, Denny Laine of Wings, Robby Krieger of The Doors, and dozens of others. Signatures of multiple performers are covering the walls and ceiling of the dressing room.

What was created as a residence underwent multiple modifications including modern additions to the south and west and change to commercial use in the late 1970s. Havana opened in 1978, and at various points, parts of the property were also occupied by a clothing store, a hairdresser, residential apartments, and a dentist's office. Today the entire property is occupied by Havana.

This business has passed through the hands of several owners, with Mark Stevens arriving as a barback in 1993. He became part owner in 2002 and full owner in 2008. A founder of Havana, Joe Luccaro, remains locally active and is now an owner of the 1740 House and HollyHedge Estate. One server, Greg Lane, has worked for Havana since 1979-1980, and his boss Mark Stevens believes that may well make Greg the longest continuing working server in New Hope. Several other nearby New Hope venues opened within a few years of the founding of Havana, and approximately 50 years later all are still in operation today: Karla’s, John & Peter’s, and Fran’s.

Mark reports mysterious events have occurred making him believe the property may be haunted. Such events have included lights flipping on and off on their own, and multiple office phones ringing late at night, with no one on the line upon answering. No ghosts have yet been seen or heard.

NHHS archival photos show a streetside Highways of History sign calling attention to the Coryell House. That sign is no longer present and its whereabout is uncertain. Decorative grillwork that once framed the residence’s front porch has been incorporated and supplemented with matching grills around a more recent front porch-covered addition.

Remarkable interior photos from 1960 augment the NHHS archives for 105 South Main Street. During our visit with Mark Stevens, he reported details of wallpaper in those photos reflect wallpaper found under paneling during recent restaurant renovations. Mrs. Ethel Grange Neale lived there from the 1930s to the 1960s. Her home was decorated in Victorian splendor including family heirlooms.

Local resident and NHHS volunteer, David Newhart, recalls visiting there as a young child in the 1950s when most of South Main Street was still residential. Then Mrs. Neale would have been in her 80’s. David recalls formal gardens to the south of the home, while beyond those was the home of future NHHS member Francis Curley and family. In the photos below, note the front windows that still exist in the same location with the original framing in the restaurant today.

Many thanks to owner Mark Stevens for his generosity in sharing his historic property with us. Also, many thanks to NHHS historian, Roy Ziegler and Board Member Bobbi Cross and her husband, Jim, for their contributions and review of this article.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Michelle Gunnells

Sandie Mines

Tom Lyon

Tom Williams

75 North Main Street - "Turtle Soup"

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:45:00 GMT

August 2023

The Paxson Estate was sold to developers in the 1890s, leading to the development of North Main Street. The 75 North Main Street property was acquired by next-door neighbors Joseph and Sadie Smith who erected the home in 1933. After two subsequent sales, Sherry Baker became the owner in 1973, and continues to this day.

It is somewhat similar in style to other Victorian homes on North Main Street. However, it was built approximately 30-40 years later than those Stick-style homes with different features. A wrap-around porch exists on two sides of this corner property and features a porch swing loved by the owner’s young grandchild. The porch was lengthened and a new addition was added to the rear of the property in 1987 resulting in the loss of a separate rear porch. The addition houses a first-floor office and an expanded second-floor master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Many original features still exist including wooden columns on either side of a broad entrance between the living room and dining room. Another upstairs bathroom features a soaking tub and Anaglypta thickly embossed ceiling.

Ms. Baker has added wallpaper in the kitchen and other rooms, including the reproduction of a 16th-century wallpaper pattern in the master bedroom suite. The attic yoga and meditation studio are reached by a wooden staircase with curved sycamore branch railings. An outhouse rescued from demolition in Philadelphia now serves as a garden shed in the backyard. The owner had the exterior stucco painted yellow reminding her of her Southern roots.

Water plays an important part in the history of many New Hope structures, and 75 North Main Street is no exception as related in an interview and tour with Ms. Baker. An artesian spring arises behind this property and at one point was routed underground into a swale in the basement. A previous owner, Mr. Lewis, loved turtle soup. The swale would be filled to about one foot deep, and turtles would be placed there until they were ready for use in soup. That spring now drains directly into the Delaware River via a storm drain.

Multiple Delaware River floods reached this house, in spite of its relative distance from the Delaware on the west side of Main Street. The 1955 flood reached above the first-floor windows. The next highest flood was in 2005, and it filled the basement to within an inch of reaching the first-floor planks. The basement ceiling beams were old enough that they did not warp. The owner was not home and was unreachable at the time of another flood in 2004. Friendly neighbors broke into the house and removed items to lessen the damage.

Prominent local artist Joseph Crilley’s oil painting of the home hangs in the dining room. Works by Solebury resident, Richard Zinn, also hangs on the walls. Outdoors at the corner of the front yard is a Steven Snyder sculpture consisting of several small stones sitting on a pedestal, aptly named “Library.” Bucks County woodworker of note, Phillip Lloyd Powell, lived next door and kept Ms. Baker supplied with tools.

Many thanks to Sherry Baker for sharing her home with us as we continue to explore the history of New Hope through its buildings and its current residents.

The Parry Mansion Museum Archives Team is a team of passionate and energetic volunteers who bring diverse, professional backgrounds to advance our archives with programs such as this monthly series “Beyond the Door,” and individual and community research request fulfillment and so much more. Many thanks to the Archives Team!

Jane Magill House

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:43:51 GMT

Anyone who has ever driven North on South Sugan Road towards the Wawa will recognize the next home in our “Beyond the Door” series. On a hillside at the corner of South Sugan and Old York Roads sits this elegantly restored home dating to the 1790s. At that time John Magill built the fieldstone western half of this home in the community of Springdale, on the first-developed Western edge of what now constitutes New Hope. Two other structures diagonally across the road were occupied by Magill family members. Springdale was situated along the Aquetong Creek and this water source allowed for the development of cotton and grist mills there. Housing for the mill workers stood in the area as well, and some of that housing as well as elements of the mills still exist today.

In a will dated October 31, 1812, John Magill left the home to his daughters, Jane and Rachel. He died in 1814. Records in the New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) archives state that Samuel Kinsey built the quarry stone granite eastern half of the home in the 1830s, acquiring title in April 1833. Granite was quarried up the Delaware River and rafted to the Village, arriving by canal after 1832. The 2 ½ story structure is built into the sloping hillside such that the main entrance and basement entrances are both at ground level. NHHS archives documents indicate that two attic-level dormers were added later, possibly at the turn of the 19 ^th to 20 ^th centuries. Title records indicate there were multiple owners of the property over the years, including John Huffnagle, Owen and Mary Markey, Thomas and Millie Crooks, and Joseph and Rose Zinger.

The home is situated at approximately the midpoint of the two-day trip between New York City and Philadelphia on one of the oldest stagecoach routes in the nation, the “York Road.” The current owners are Brenda and David Locher, and during a visit to the home, David stated that the home was reportedly a tavern and stagecoach stop for weary travelers on their way to NYC or Philadelphia. The basement entrance may well have been used to access a tavern, while the upper floors were used for lodging.

Interestingly NHHS archives records show that the 1850 Rogerson and Murphy Survey Map displays only the mill structures and none of the nearby dwellings. Presumably, the mapmakers felt the village to be of little importance in relation to the size of the larger village on the banks of the Delaware River.

In 2011, after over 10 years of significant deterioration, the home was extensively and meticulously renovated by Dick and Rick Coluccio (father and son), and Bob Feller. At that point, the house was in dire condition. During the renovation authentic 20-inch-thick fieldstone walls were exposed, original Mercer tiles were found decorating one of the five fireplaces, built-in wood bookcases were kept, and a new north-side addition housing a dining room was built. The Lochers purchased the home after that renovation and have lived there since.

Outside is found a now 350-year-old sycamore tree that was already quite large in a photo from 1917. A stream meanders through the yard, eventually ending in the Aquetong Creek some yards down the road. In addition, the property features one of the county’s remaining stone bridges labeled “Sugan Bridge 1853.” The bridge has been damaged during multiple automobile accidents, and repaired at the urging of David Locher.

Many thanks to the Lochers for allowing us to visit and appreciate their historic home.

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

Michelle Gunnells

Sandie Mines

Tom Lyon

Tom Williams

The Wedgwood Inn

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:37:27 GMT

Reading that the historic Wedgwood Inn was up for sale, the New Hope Historical Society's Archives Team felt it was the perfect time to visit the inn, explore its history, and update our building records.

On a recent afternoon, our team met with husband-and-wife owners Carl Glassman and Dinie Silnutzer. They have owned the Wedgwood – note this correct spelling – since 1982. While making additions over the years they have kept much of the original design intact. In addition, they discovered a historic tunnel that was possibly used as part of the underground railroad.

The current structure was built by Mary Ann Slaughter in 1870 on the stone foundation of the original 1720 “old hip-roof” house. In the 1907 edition of W. H. H. Davis’ History of Bucks County, Davis states the older house was used as headquarters by patriot Alexander Lord Stirling during the Revolutionary War. Washington and his troops were camped across what is now Bridge Street from December 8, 1776, to December 25, 1776, just before the historic Battle of Trenton. That became a victory for the Continentals and an emotional turning point in the war. Inn owner Carl Glassman explains that there was a cannon in the front yard facing the slope down to Ferry Street in case the British were to approach. At that time there were mostly fields between the house and the river. As a salute to its role in the revolution, the house subsequently became known as “The Old Fort” or “The Headquarters House.”

In the 1930’s the house began to be used as a rooming house, a role that continued through several owners and decades. Carl’s and Dinie’s tenure has led to the expansion of the mansion with a rear addition in 1999, and upgrades such as private baths for each of the 10 lodging rooms. The construction led to the discovery of an underground wood and stone tunnel running from the kitchen to a gazebo located on the east side of the house. The tunnel was accessed inside the house from the wooden kitchen floor. The residue of gunpowder and candles was found in the tunnel. It is theorized that the tunnel was likely used to store ammunition for the Continental Army during the revolution. Later it may have served as a hiding spot for the enslaved on the underground railroad as they awaited a friendly mule barge northbound on the Delaware Canal. The current owners state that two of their visitors are said to have seen the ghost of a 12-year-old girl who is felt to be an enslaved person looking for her parents.

Famous guests have included politician & author Ralph Nader, William Shatner of Star Trek, and Antoni Poworski of Queer Eye. Nader volunteered to speak to a class in the school across the street.

Architecturally the house is Victorian style with deep eaves, a projecting two-story bay window, a wraparound verandah with scrolled brackets, and a porte-corchere built initially to be the coach entrance for women. Until recently there was a slate roof. The clipped gables may be an echo of the original building. Inside are found walls stenciled by local artist Cheryl Raywood, an old claw foot tub, and a Mercer tile fireplace, along with many original decorative features. English Wedgwood plateware decorates the house.

At one time, the property extended as far as the Aquetong Creek. Southern parts of the property were sold off years ago and newer structures were constructed there. Besides the gazebo mentioned above, there is a view that captures that of the famous Joseph Pickett painting of New Hope. In addition, a Ray Faunce sculpture from the New Hope Arts Outdoor Sculpture Project, Triffids, can be seen from Bridge Street.

Many thanks to Carl and Dinie for sharing their historic property with us as we continue to explore the history of New Hope through its buildings and its current residents.

The Osmond/Newhart House

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:15:30 GMT

This house, located on the south side of West Ferry Street in what once was called Coryell's Ferry, now New Hope, has witnessed 225 years of history. Previously, it was used as an active commercial store and has now reverted to solely being a residence. It can be seen on a map, created by Benjamin Parry himself in 1798, and was marked “the House of J. Osmond”.

The eastern portion of the Osmond/Newhart house located at 75-77 West Ferry Street served as a provisions store from 1866-1924, supplying families of the Lepanto Mill workers. This mill was one of multiple mills in New Hope at this time. The store closed shortly after the mill closed. The 2 ½ story sand plaster over fieldstone Osmond/Newhart house is now a two-home residence.

West Ferry Street was known years ago as York Road, connecting Manhattan and Philadelphia. Many travelers passed by this house on one of the oldest stagecoach routes on the East Coast.

Multiple changes have been made to the structure over the years. However, two front doors and 6/6 glass paned windows are felt to be original. Exposed beams in the dining room include some made from the boards of disassembled canal barges. The remnants of two outhouses remain in the backyard. Made of brick, the outhouses were once sources of pride before indoor plumbing was installed following World War II.

A second-floor addition over a porch at the eastern end of the building features an exterior wall painting that can easily be seen from the street. It was created by New Hope hair stylist Steven Giovanniello and is suggestive of “Manchester Valley” by New Hope folk artist, Joseph Pickett. The original by Pickett is now hung in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, thanks to a 1931 purchase by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.

Former owners include well-known New Hope names such as Beaumont, Maris, Ely, Neely, and Magill. Since 1925 three generations of Newharts have now successively lived in this home. Grandparents of the current owner/occupant David Newhart, initially bought the house for $1550 as a home for their family. David’s grandfather, Ernest Newhart, was a stone mason and a tax collector, and a combined sign for those occupations hangs on the hallway wall. David grew up in the house and is the steward of several generations of unique New Hope keepsakes, including rarely seen copies of the New Hope Gazette from the 1950s, the first Bucks County Playhouse program from 1939, and a three-legged chair from the restaurant that preceded the space now occupied by Sneddon’s in Lambertville.

Many thanks to David Newhart for sharing his home and its history with us.

The Anchor House

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:06:20 GMT

April 2023

Once part of the large Paxson estate, the creation of this property can be traced back to 1891. Sarah Ely Paxson sold the property to developers Alexander Manning and John Simpson Betts, who then sold off dozens of North Main Street lots after the road was relocated to the west, away from the Delaware River. The home on 68 North Main Street was built circa 1898. There are currently 8 similar modest Stick Victorian-style homes still standing on North Main Street in the New Hope Borough Historic District. Prior owners of the property have been several prominent families in the history of New Hope and Lambertville, Magill, Holcombe, Ely, Betts, and Balderston.

Michael and Paul acquired the property in 2014. Over the past 9 years, they have completed an extensive restoration. The original house has since been updated with an emphasis on restoring the character and material of the original design. The metal siding was removed and all of the original exterior shiplap siding was restored as well as the long hidden scallop shingles located at the apex of the roof.

The exterior was repainted with period colors from the late 1800s. Real working Timberlane shutters were installed with a personalized anchor cutout. The original slate roof was removed years ago and is now replaced with an architectural asphalt shingle to mimic a wood-shake roof. One feature that stands out is the 17 light diamond pane windows that grace the home's exterior, enhanced by a rectangular split two-pane glass transom window above the front door that local artist Ilia Barger hand stenciled No. 68 using gold leaf paint.

An electric doorbell echoing an old-style pull-string bell system has been installed. When the new hardwood floors were installed a surprise trap door was discovered under layers of older floor renovations which led to an underground 6-foot deep by 4-foot wide 1000-gallon basement cistern originally used to hand pump water into the kitchen sink. The cistern has now been turned into a wine cellar.

The original home was built with two wood-burning stoves for heat and a rear yard outhouse. In the early 1900s, cast iron radiators replaced the two wood-burning stoves and are still being used to heat the original portion of the home today.

A new rear addition includes a first-floor den with a wood-burning Mercer Tile fireplace and an additional fourth bedroom Master Suite overlooking the Delaware River.

New "Lambertville" fluted trim was milled for inside the addition.

An additional staircase leads up to what once was a third-floor unfinished attic. The roof line was so low that you literally had to get onto your hands and knees to enter, but once inside there was ample ceiling height. A new dormer was added to fix this issue and the attic now includes additional living and office space.

Stone aggregate was mixed into the tinted grey cement for the new sidewalk and walkways to be consistent with historic guidelines. A rear detached cinderblock two-car garage circa 1950 has been renovated using the original home's exterior trim and stone foundation and is graced with an illuminated octagon cupola. A matching rear carriage house door has been added to the garage and when both doors are open the river view, once blocked, can now be seen from the first-floor den windows. It is now reminiscent of a boathouse. A covered patio connected to the garage includes an outdoor gas fireplace and kitchen. A gangway leads to a new dock along the Delaware River. The prior owners presented a horseshoe that they had found buried in the rear yard, perhaps offering good luck to the new owners.

1955 and the early 2000s brought flooding to New Hope. During the 2006 flood the house, surrounded by water, was pictured on the front of the New Hope Gazette.

Advertising brochure from AV Manning’s Sons, circa late 1890s, for development of North Main Street, New Hope. The circled property is the featured historical property, 68 North Main Street.

The Locktender’s House – Lock 10

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 18:53:41 GMT

The house was built in 1832 by Lewis Slate Coryell, who was born in 1788 in Hunterdon County, N.J. Lewis was a direct descendant of Emmanuel Coryell, namesake of Coryell’s Ferry as New Hope was known at the time of the American Revolution. Lewis married Mary Van Sant and moved to New Hope in 1820 where Lewis built his lumber mill, Union Mills. Sometime thereafter Mary Van Sant inherited the parcel of land where The Locktender’s House-Lock 10 is now located from her father, Joshua Van Sant Joshua had received the property from Joseph Wilkinson son of Ichabod Wilkinson who in 1753 had purchased part of the original mill tract from Richard and Thomas Penn.

The Locktender’s House located at the very southern end of South Main Street served the canal for nearly 100 years, until the canal went out of business in 1931. The original lock tender was Samuel Stockdon and the last was Levi Winters to whom the property was sold in 1946. To the south of this house along the towpath, you will find the Locktender’s House for Lock 9 and a toll collectors office. To the north of the house are the homes used to house the canal workers in the 1800s.

The outlet for the canal into the river, just yards south of this Locktender’s House was built to connect boats to the New Jersey, Delaware and Raritan canal, allowing access to New York ports. Multiple iron cable anchors have been found along the river’s edge. These anchors are believed to have held the cable that was used to move the boats out of the canal and across the Delaware River.

Purchased by Michele Becci and Jay Freeo in 2016, the house has been actively restored. The remodeled kitchen and dining room have the original hemlock ceiling. The street level kitchen, dining room and living room floors are original pine timber. A Palladian window in the living room was believed to have been added in the 1960s by previous owners. A beautiful view of the Delaware River is seen from the living room and dining room of the remodeled home. Upstairs consists of an office, a guest bedroom, and a bathroom. A second home office is located below the kitchen. The master bedroom faces the Delaware River. The lowest level houses the original walk-in fireplace. The foundation of the home consists of red argillite stone, similar to that seen in the exterior of the Parry Mansion Museum and barn, and also was used in the new garage construction and remodeling of the home.