Lower Makefield Historic Landmarks Guide

Lower Makefield Twp, Bucks County, PA

In 1998 the Lower Makefield Township Historical Commission, through a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, published this guide as "A self-guided driving tour intended for Yardley-Makefield area residents to promote appreciation for our local architectural heritage and to inspire preservation efforts whenever possible."

The guide covers 50 of Lower Makefield's 250 historical sites and structures and includes 4 pull-out maps:

• Locator map pinpointing each of the 50 landmarks
• Artist rendering of the National Register 'Edgewood Village Historic District'
• Contemporary streetmap overlayed with boundaries defining the original land grants from William Penn.
• 1798 historical tax-list map

"In Lower Makefield, most land was allocated in long strips from the Delaware River and laid out on an east-west orientation. A family bought waterfront, alluvial meadow, rocky bank, and forested interior fields. Most parcels measured about 500 acres in this area. Early settlers utilized abandoned Indian fields, and Indian trails became their roads. The remnant Delawares (Lenni Lenape Indians) quickly vacated the area and disappeared from public records by the turn of the 18th century. Their centuries of occupation left few artifacts, but arrowheads, spear tips, scappers, stone axes, and pierced net weights may be found along Lower Makefields streams and riverbanks." [Source: Heinz, Helen, A History of Lower Makefield Township, Lower Makefield Township]

Local historical organizations include The Lower Makefield Historical Society, Township Historical Commission, and Historical Architectural Review Board. Contact the township for additional information: 1100 Edgewood Road, Yardley, PA 19067.

Landmarks included in the Guide

• Balderston-Lloyd House, circa early 18th century
• Meadowbrook Farm (aka The Daniel Richardson House), circa 1760
• Abraham Warner House, circa 1760's
• Ashland Farm (aka The Vansant-Buckman House), circa 1790's
• Edgewood Farm, circa mid 18th century
• Vansant-Taylor House, probably circa 1750's
• Floral Vale Farm, circa 1780
• Kirkbride-Palmer House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, circa 1750's
• Edgewood, circa 1765
• Edgewood Village, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• Schoolmaster's House, circa early 1800s, restoration begin circa 1990
• Mirror Lake Farm (aka the Biles Farmhouse), circa 1818
• Locust Grove, circa 1835
• Thomas Winder House, circa 1799
• Simcock-Stapler House, circa 1740
• James Force House, circa mid 19th century
• Aaron Winder House, circa 1790
• Longshore-Taylor House, circa 1820
• Crosswinds (aka Duer-Cadwallader House) circa mid-1700's one-room structure contained within a circa 1830's Federal-style expansion
• Twin Brooks (aka Abraham Slack, Jr. House) circa 1767
• Berm Bank, circa early 19th century
• William Paff House, circa mid 19th century
• Prospect Farm, circa 1725
• Garry-Owen (aka Vansant House) circa 1811
• Thomas Pickering House, circa 1856
• David Palmer House, circa early 19th century
• Isaac Brelsford House, circa 1769, brick
• Octagonal Schoolhouse, ruins of circa 1774 (first one-room-octagonal schoolhouse in the nation)
• Boxwood Farm (aka James Palmer House) circa early 19th century
• Willow Bend (aka John Palmer, Jr. House) circa 1723
• Palmer-Decoursey House, circa 1764
• Downey-Cunningham House, circa early 18th century
• Brookrest, circa 1856
• Twin Arches, circa 1700John and Phineas Hough House, listed on the National Register in 1992)
  20 Moyer Road
• Westover, (aka Mead-Wildman House) circa mid 18th century
• Pine Grove School, circa 1870
• Gillingham-Sutphin House, circa 1775
• The Homestead, circa late 18th century
• James Moon, Jr. House (aka Homestead Acres) circa late 18th century
• Nixson House, circa 1830
• Edgehill School, circa ????
• Edgehill Gardens House, circa 1888
• Glencroft (aka John Kirkbride House) circa 1803
• Margerum House, circa 1768
• Kabeyun, circa 1820
• Tunnicliff-Scattergood House, circa mid 18th century
• Delaware Canal, circa 1832, a National Historic Landmark