History
Excerpt: Place Names in Bucks County, George MacReynolds, Bucks County Historical Society, 1942
Small town at the intersection of York Road (Route 202) and Street Road, partly in Buckingham and partly in Solebury Township. The southwestern end of the town begins at the brow of Buckingham Meetinghouse Hill, where the York Road forks. It became a post office March 18, 1874, with Thomas Betts as first postmaster, and at that time it comprised 15 houses, store, hotel, coach factory and a few shops. In olden times Edmund Kinsey's scythe and axe factory, less than two miles north of the village, was a notable industry. The Orthodoc Friends' Meeting House, near Meeting House Hill, was built in 1830 and was probably closed as a meeting house about 1880. Some twenty-five years ago it was sold and for a time used as a carriage emporium. Lahaska Methodist Episcopal Church, was built in 1853 and rebuilt in 1861. Seneca W. Ely, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a native of Bucks County, says Lahaska in 1820 bore the prosaic name of Hentown. There is no other authority for this name except Mr. Ely's word, but he was a newspaper editor and consequently his veracity is above question. The origin of its present name, which is recent as applied to the town, is discussed elsewhere. Lahaska has grown in importance in recent years. It has its Midway Fire Company and Ladies' Auxiliary and other organizations that take good care of the welfare of the community.
Lahaska as a name has its origin in that of an Indian town on the banks of the creek (Lahaska), which the Lenapes called Lahaskeke or Lehaskeking, from the stem lehasik, to write or written, and eke, much, hence the meaning "the place of much writing," probably from the fact that some parley or treaty, or some important Indian picture writing, was made there. ... The Indian name has been spelled by writers several ways, as Lahaskeek, Lahasaka, Lahaseka, Lahaska, Lasskeek, Layoskeek, Laoskeykee, Laskeek, Lahoskeek. Besides raising miraculous cereal crops, the beautiful valley was productive of poets, who have taken plenty of poetic license with the spelling.
Source: Place Names in Bucks County, George MacReynolds, Bucks County Historical Society, 1942
Excerpt: The Villages of Bucks County: A Guidebook, Bucks County Planning Commission
Lahaska is the site of the Buckingham Friends Meeting, which is the oldest place of worship in the township. The meeting was founded in 1701, and the first meetinghouse, a log structure, was built between 1705 and 1708. The present meetinghouse was built in 1768. In 1874, the village consisted of 15 houses, a store, hotel, coach factory, and a few shops. A notable scythe and axe factory was located about two miles north of the village. This was also the year a post office opened in Lahaska. The name Lahaska originates from a Lenape Indian word meaning "the place of much writing." Probably a treaty or a similarly important event once took place there.
Today Lahaska is almost exclusively commercial in nature. Many of the old homes and buildings have been converted into shops and stores; however, much of the tourist attraction known as Peddler's Village is comprised of newer construction. Several large parking areas are scattered around the village to accommodate shoppers. A flea market is also located on the southern side of Route 202, opposite the shops. Despite the heavy traffic, many pedestrians walk on the road. On busy days the large number of cars and people slows the traffic attempting to pass through the village.
Lahaska is contemporaneously best known as Peddler's Village, a tourist destination in its own right, while also frequently included on the itinerary of visitors to Historic New Hope. Following is an excerpt from a brochure that promotes the commercial attractions of the village.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Route 263 • Routes 202 • Street Road • York Road