Pleasant Valley is a village with a rich historical background. The first settlers in the area were German and the original name of the settlement was Schuckenhausen after a place in southern Germany. The present name was chosen in 1828 by Lewis Ott, the village's first postmaster.
A small log church, built in Pleasant Valley over 200 years ago, was attended by people from all over the area, many traveling great distances to hear the services. Tradition has it that the minister and his congregation would stop at a small inn just south of the village to rest and drink schnapps before continuing on to the church. In 1872, the log church was replaced by a stone building, and this building was eventually converted to residential use in 1924.
Another part of village tradition is that, in 1777, General Lafayette stayed at the Pleasant Valley Inn on his way to rejoin Washington's Army at White Marsh. This visit occurred following Lafayette's recovery from the injuries he received at the Battle of Brandywine.
Pleasant Valley is one of the larger villages in Springfield Township, with many residential and commercial uses stretched out along Old Bethlehem Road. The road through the village is fairly busy and there seems to be quite a bit of truck traffic using the road. Most of the houses in Pleasant Valley are older frame dwellings.
Overall, Pleasant Valley is an attractive village containing many interesting features. Numerous shade trees and the stone bridge that crosses Cooks Creek are additional assets of the village. With some improvements to a few of the buildings, there is great potential to enhance the traditional village setting of Pleasant Valley.
Source: Springfield Township Comprehensive Plan, 2002
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Bridge Street • Kinsman Road • Old Bethlehem Road