YARDLEY’S FERRY – BUCKS COUNTY – PENNSYLVANIA

Chronological Analysis, by Larry Hale, dated May 29, 2011 (Revised September 26, 2011) - Final

 

A___1721 Ferry Road:   We now know that the 1721 ferry road from Langhorne entered Yardleyville at Scammell’s Corner, ran down the hill on the high ground immediately northwest of and parallel to the modern road, passed under today’s Lake Afton, and arrived at the 1721 ferry ramp located a short distance below the funeral home driveway. Back in 1721 the surveyor started the road survey at the river bank, and described the first two courses as follows::

“Beginning at a marked Spanish Oak sapling standing on the bank of the river Delaware thence

[1]  S 74 degrees W   80 p [1320-ft] through Thomas Yardley’s orchard

to the road that leads to the falls,

near the said Yardley’s mill race;

thence up the said race

[2] S 80 degrees W  100 p [1,650-ft]  over the said mill creek;”

A boat leaving from the 1721 ferry ramp on the Yardleyville side, would pole to the far shore and return to a landing below College Avenue.  It would then be pulled back to the starting point by ropes. There was a similar pole ferry operation at Lower Ferry Road on the Ewing Township side.  These two ferry crossings basically connected Langhorne Road in Pennsylvania to the Lower Ferry Road in New Jersey.

A-1___Topographic Survey Maps of Lower Makefield Township:  The most important step in determining the location of the 1721 ferry road was to establish a base map by using the  L.M.T. 2-foot  contour maps which include topography right up to the edge of the Borough. This gives us a very accurate 500 foot grid inside the Borough.  The first three courses of the 1721 survey were then plotted in red on a plastic overlay and positioned on the Langhorne Road straightaway as shown on the L.M.T. maps.  Deeds inside Yardley were similarly plotted for properties along both  the 1721 Rd. and S. River Rd.  Details of how the 1721 road was located on the ground and how various inconsistencies were resolved is provided in my letter dated 4-12-99 to Consulting Engineer Jim Ceglia.

A-2___Link between 1721 ferry road and 1794 road network:  In 1999 we traced the road network backward one road relocation at a time to the 1794 survey but couldn’t go further back and therefore could not connect the later road network to our established location for the 1721 road.  We concluded there must be a missing road return.  The 1752 survey referred to a “road that leads to the ferry located too far from out selected location for the 1721 road.   There was no missing road return.  We were blindsided by the fact that references to the 1721 road were so rare.  It just never occurred to me that we had uncovered an ancient road pre-dating and in a completely different location than the 1721 road.   It wasn’t until I reopened our files in 2010  related to the 1763 road, that I revisited the 1721 survey.  How this led to identifying the 1713 ferry road is explained in this article you are now reading.

B___Circa 1742 Yardley Ferry House  - 

1742  -  Tavern License issued to Daniel Maclarty  -  Tavern sign/name:  “Yardley’s Ferry”

Since no one else appears to have reported uncovering this, it needs to be verified.   The Yardley tavern (at the ferry house) must have existed by 1742, or possibly earlier as determined by one of the following key dates:  1) 1732 when Thomas Yardley, Sr. owned all the lands along the river, or 2) 1727 when he acquired the land from Lambert, or 3) 1722 date of Patent from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The 1742 date would indicate Thomas Yardley, Sr. who built Lakeside in 1728,  also built the ferry house, which being located in a remote location along the river was also likely built in stone. It was positioned about halfway between the two ferry crossings.

 

C___1752 Land Survey for Thomas Yardley, Sr.  -  The survey delineates the land used by the mill including all the waterways, and excludes all the river frontage used by the ferry as well as public roads used by both.  The following courses of the 1752 survey are used for this analysis:

 

[3]  S 88 W  -  [264-ft]  to a Black Oak at another corner of the aforesaid lot and Hageman's

[4]  S 31 E  -  [594-ft]  crossing the Mill Pond to a forked Spanish Oak, thence

[5]  S 71 E  -  [224-ft]  to a White Oak, thence

[6]  S 76 E  -  [462-ft]  to a stone placed for a corner, thence

[7]  N 81 E  - [330-ft]  to a stone for a corner at the point where the two roads meet, thence

[8]  N 36 E - [330-ft]  to a stone by the road that leads to the ferry, thence

 [9] N 81 E - [ 363-ft]   to a stone by the side of the last mentioned road, thence

[10]  N 38 E – [165-ft]  to a Black Oak Sapling

 

  At first glance the  1752 course to a stone for a “corner at the point where the two roads meet” appears to raise more questions than it answers.  But in May 2011 the 1713 road revealed its true identity as I tried to draw a sketch showing how Yardley’s main intersection evolved.  By using the 1721 survey as a starting point, we were able to sketch a plan which satisfies both the 1721 and 1752 surveyor descriptions.  If you precisely follow what the 1721 survey says and make no assumptions, you would have a single line representing course [1]  from the river to “the road that leads to the falls”  - the survey does not use the words “corner” or “crossing.”  Do not assume anything.  Just show the end of Main Street as a short stub to the north.  It should be drawn in such a way that the end of the short stub is “near the said Yardley’s mill race.”  

 

D___ “The [Ancient] Road That Leads to the Ferry”

The 1752 survey course [8] begins at corner where the two roads meet and ends near the mill at “a stone by the road that leads to the ferry.”  This means the line does not quite reach the said road.  The next course [9]  “to a stone by the side of the last mentioned road”  actually reaches the side of the same road.  The stone at the end of course [9] is near where the creek turns toward the river and marks the end of the part of the road that is being assigned to the mill property.  The “road that leads to the ferry” was a very early road serving the circa 1713 Brock Mill which was still in use by T. Yardley, Sr. and then by T. Yardley, Jr. at least up until he built the new mill in 1769.  It is clear that this segment of the “road that leads to the ferry” defined by the two stones extends beyond the stone at each end,  coming from the mill at the upper end and continuing straight past the end of the segment at the lower end to the ferry somewhere beyond.  It turned out that our overlay composite were showing it continuing on the same straight line to the 1721 ferry location  -  So it appears the 1721 ferry ramp may have pre-dated the 1721 ferry road.

HYPOTHETICAL TIMELINE:

1713    Road from Brock mill to the river

1721    Road from Brock mill to the river intersects 1721 ferry road

1752    Road from Brock mill described in 1752 land survey

1769    Road remains in use by the new Yardley mill

1795    Road might become part of 2-road system serving the new ferry ramp

1807    The part of the road nearest the mill is vacated

1829    The rest of the road out to E. Afton is vacated  

 

E___Yardley’s Main Intersection  -  Where Newtown Rd Connects to Main St

 

E-1___Newtown Road:  In 1721 the road entering Yardley from Newtown was located along the southeast side of Yardley’s Mill Race.  Later when the race was expanded into a Mill Pond the road had to be relocated.  Still later when the Mill Pond was further expanded into the full size Lake Afton the road again had to be relocated.   As a result, there were inside Yardley at different times three (3) different Newtown Roads, each new road having been shifted southeast from the one it replaced.  Meanwhile, South Main Street always remained in the same location.

E-2___Brock Creek Corridor:  The Yardley Mill is located on the edge of and high above Brock Creek. The mill is on the south side of the creek.  Water to the mill was by 1752 diverted from Brock Creek by a dam behind the cemetery and supplied to the mill via a race flowing in the southeast direction toward W. Afton Avenue, with the race clinging to the higher ground well south of the low lying creek.  It’s logical that the mill race was located well south of the low lying Brock Creek and on the same side of the creek as the mill.  It’s also logical that Newtown Road (once it passed over Brock Creek at the bottom of Scammell’s Hill, remained on the same south side of the waterway to the mill. Expansion would obviously be to the south inside what was a fairly narrow corridor.  

Width of Corridor perpendicular to the 1721 Ferry Road is estimated as follows:

Width of Race = 4-ft 

Buffer between Edge of Race and cartway of 1721 road = 5-ft

Width of 1721 Road = 33-ft  (2-perches)

Scaled Distance from side of 1721 Road to edge 1st Mill Pond = 8.5-ft

Buffer between Mill Pond and 1794 Road = 3-ft

Width of 1794 Road  =  33-ft

Scaled Distance from side of 1794 Road to edge 2nd Mill Pond = X (varies)

Buffer between 1829 Mill Pond and edge of 1794 Road =  Y (varies)

Width of 1829 Road  =  33- ft

Total Width of Corridor at about 250-ft from Main St  =  119.5-ft + X + Y

E-3___The Mill Race:  There are four 1752 survey courses [4], [5] , [6] , [7]  that describe the route of the waterway from Brock Creek to Main Street.  Course [4]  (at one location along its overall length) crosses both Brock Creek and a Mill Pond on a line behind and parallel to the dam.  The dam is located over 1,000-ft (224-ft + 462-ft + 330-ft) from Main Street and the 1807 pond directly in front of Lakeside does not yet exist.  Courses [5] , [6] , [7] with [7] ending at Main Street, are located south of the race.  None of these courses mentions arriving at or crossing the 1721 road.  Course [7] is on an angle of 1-degree with the 1721 Rd., probably close alongside, and converging toward the “corner where two roads meet” (Newtown & Trenton Roads). 

 

F___1775 SURVEY   (dated December 4, 1775 by Moses Moon)

      Par "F" - Complete Rewrite Based New 1775 Map  Posted December 4, 2011
      Surveyed by Moses Moon During Revolutionary War - by Larry Hale
      "at the Instance of Jonathan Carlile [Middletown Township]"

------ORIGINAL PAR "F" IS TEMPORARILY BEING MAINTAINED HERE------

Although the area of interest is at a very small scale and difficult to read, my computer enhanced copy of the survey appears to show the exact same configuration of the 1721 road still existing in 1775, confirmed by what appears to be a limited number of bearings  less than required to show the 1794 layout.

 A different copy made 25-years ago by the owner of the original document and provided by Betsy & Dave Miller identifies the surveyor as Moses Moon, which greatly increases my confidence in this survey.  This other copy is somewhat easier to read and includes what might be interpreted as a symbol for a tree at the location of the “Spanish Oak” sapling used to mark where the 1721 ferry road reached the river, but the adjacent writing is impossible to read. 

Admittedly the purpose of the 1775 survey is not to record the details of the water supply system serving the mill.  The 1775 survey does not show a mill pond opposite the “Lakeside” – though the Mill and Lakeside are shown.  The 1775 survey does not show the dam which is known to exist by 1752 some distance north of the 1721 road, possibly not visible through the woods. What the 1775 survey does show is the following symbol of a Ferry House along South Delaware Avenue some distance further down river from the 1721 ferry road:

1775_Ferry_House (5K) 1775_Ferry_House.jpg 

This Ferry House surveyed by Moses Moon in 1775, existed 20 years before Richard Green arrived, and 12-years after Yardley’s ferry house was referred to in the vicinity of Lanrick Manor,   and 21-years before Yardley’s ferry house was again referred to still in the vicinity of Lanrick Manor.   The 1775 survey shows a Mill Pond at the foot of Scammell’s Hill some distance upstream from the bridge.  Traces of this mill pond are evident on the ground today.  The survey then shows a single watercourse which appears to be a continuous race closely following the 1721 road all the way to and arriving at the south side of the Mill and flowing from there to the river.  I believe this is an abbreviated but acceptable way of showing the water supply to the mill on a survey showing the Yardley/Langhorne Road on one 12-inch length of paper.

------END ORIGINAL PAR "F" TEMPORARILY BEING MAINTAINED HERE------


G-1___1794 Newtown Road  -  was said to be in place prior to the 1794 Newtown Road Survey to Yardley’s Ferry, and I suspect the same was true inside Yardley.  The road went to Main Street where it turned straight toward the mill.  Although metes and bounds for roads in Yardley are not provided on the 1794 road return, the part into and out of the mill is fully described as the road being abandoned in the 1807 road return, by which time the race had been expanded into the mill pond opposite “Lakeside.”  

It is worth noting that the 1794 road shown coming from the mill turns down East Afton on a line perpendicular to the river.  The original extension of the road across E. Afton, which I believe was still existing in 1794, is not shown.  The road down E. Afton to Flemings Tavern was likely constructed around 1790.   The later 1829 survey clearly shows it taking a ninety degree bend before it reaches the river.  It is undoubtedly heading downriver toward the ferry landing either at the final location across from the storm inlet near the upriver side of Steaks & Things or downriver at the original 1721 location.

G-2___1807 Cut-Off  -  The triangle formed by the roads being abandoned was an important component of our overlay map composite.  It should be noted, that each time there is a major change in road locations, even though the new roads appear to fit right in and line up perfectly with our overlay map composite, there is no guarantee that they are in fact at the precise same location.  But such differences as may exist, would not be significant compared to the accuracy achievable by our overlay composite at scale 1-inch = 100-ft.  

 

G-3___1829 Road Return  -  The beginning part of the 1829 road from the bottom of Scammell’s Hill into Yardley looks identical to the 1721 on our composite map overlays but bends to the right to get around the Mill Pond which has been expanded to the full size Lake Afton.  The point where the bend occurs is        -ft from the west side of the 1721 bridge.  The bend referred to occurs precisely 858-ft (693-ft + 165-ft) from the west side of Main Street.  Another bend occurred slightly back to left 165-ft before reaching the near side of Main Street.  This is believed to be the same location occupied by West Afton Avenue today, or very close to it.

 

G-4___1906 Moon Survey (Must be C.H. Moon)  -  on white paper helped fit everything together at the Main Intersection - overlays laid down in following sequence:

1) 1906 Moon Survey

2) My 1999 composite including the 1721 road centerline (red line) 1742 survey (brown line).

3) Plot of 1752 survey on separate sheet of its own to permit shifting 1752 survey line.

 

G-5___Brock’s Mill (above the dam)  -  The 1752 survey identifies a mill pond located about 1,000-ft from where the 1721 race crossed Main St.  We didn’t have Google maps in 1999, but it turns out if you plot the 1752 survey onto the well defined satellite photo, course [4] of the survey is not only confirmed to cross the mill pond behind the dam but the surveyed line was made parallel to the dam itself.  This builds confidence in the 1752 surveyor’s work.

 

H___Spanish Oak Sapling (Survey Marker)

A “Spanish Oak Sapling standing on the bank of the river Delaware” was cited in 1721 as the beginning point of that survey.  This tree was an important survey marker, planted on high ground and undoubtedly still standing in  1752.  I’m using it here to show how the 1721 survey connected to the later road network.  Certain symmetry between the 1721 and 1752 surveys suggests that  T. Yardley, Sr. hired the same surveyor used in 1721 to come back and do the 1752 survey. 

The tree was located somewhere near the line between Lots 13 and 14 on the 1893 Longshore subdivision, and about 550-ft from the centerline of today’s Afton Ave. based on our map overlay analysis. Our graphics solution does not involve the use of the beginning point of the survey.  Rather, it’s by means of the map overlays that we attempt to nail down the beginning point.  

 

I___1815 Arron Larue Store (#45 East Afton Ave.)  -   As we indicated back in 1999  Dr. Khalsa permitted me to take a close look at the Khalsa Clinic lot.  The parking lot alongside the clinic as well as the ditch alongside the property would be central to any map of the various locations of Ferry Road.  It is an important lot to us because it is believed to be on the path of the original 1721 Ferry Road and [involved in many] subsequent re-locations of that road... 

 

LARUE’S LOWER LINE:  The initial Larue lot is believed to have had 147 foot frontage on Ferry Road.  The lower corner of this lot is where the “bend in Afton Ave” is located, and appears to be on line with the corner where the 1752 survey turns left to follow the bend in the creek].  On the 1851 map it is  shown as J. Neil.  In 1852 Larue sold the lower 60 feet frontage to Jesse Niel. 

 

PATTISON VANHORN LINE:   At one time the overall lot was part of the larger Pattison Vanhorn holdings.  The lower  “Pattison Vanhorn”  line separated the early 1812-1815 buildings from the later houses built starting in 1836 below the Vanhorn line on lands owned by Jolly Longshore.

 

LOCATION OF 1721 ROAD:   The footpath behind Khalsa Clinic crossed the 1721 ferry road on a slight diagonal and therefore some significant length of the path appears to have been the actual  roadbed of the 1721 ferry road, or vertically very close to it.  Our map overlay system shows the 1721 road passing through Lot #53 of the 1893 Longshore Estate subdivision plan. The left front corner of Lot #53 was about 15-ft south of the ferry road, as shown on the map overlay system. 

 

J___Circa 1756  T. Yardley, Jr. Expanded the Ferry Service -  Purchased the ferry at Lower Ferry Road (NJ) named Gould’s ferry.  This probably occurred around1756 by which time he was not only operating the ferry, but owned and controlled all the lands along the river.:

1745 (our most recent map showing Gould’s ferry)

1756  (the date of his father’s death)

1763 (the date he sold it to Howell)

 

After buying Gould’s ferry his next step would logically be to relocate the base of operations from Lower Ferry Road NJ to the Yardleyville side of the river.  The 1779, the Erskine map of Howell’s ferry appears to show this Yardley base of operations still existing on the Yardleyville side, with Howell using the original Yardley ramp for his far shore landing.  In those days such cables were made of hemp.

 

K___1763  Road Return  -  T. Yardley, Jr.  obtained approval for public road entering Yardley near the railroad underpass.  From there it turned directly toward Yardley’s circa 1756 ferry ramp believed to have been built at the time of the Gould Ferry acquisition.  The surveyed line turned sharply left before it got to the ramp, and proceeded on a direct line 594-ft to the site of Lanrick Manor.   Presumably the new ferry road increased traffic, provided better interconnection by expanding to a two road operation in Yardleyville, reduced traffic on local roads, and increased business at the Tavern.  But in addition to these benefits, it must have been part of a deal involving the sale of the Gould’s Ferry back to a new owner name Howell on the New Jersey side.  This appears to be a time when traffic was peaking, and the new owner on the New Jersey side may have introduced some sort of hemp cable operation.  I’ll have more to say about this in starting with the Erskine map showing Howell’s Ferry.

 

K-1___1764  Advertisement

In 1764 the ferry at Lower Ferry Road was identified (in an advertisement) as
Howell's (late Yardley's) Ferry

Google Search:  “A useful euphemism – a quick way of informing some who might not know the person was dead” -  Gould’s ferry which had been previously purchased by T. Yardley, Jr. about 1756 had now been sold to Howell, a new owner on the New Jersey side.  The word “late” meaning recently owned by Yardley. The 1721 road continued to be used so there was still a two ferry system between Langhorne and Lower Ferry Road.

 

M___1769  T. Yardley, Jr. Builds Grist Mill  -  The new mill was built adjacent to the earlier Brock mill.    The line coming out of the new mill is believed to follow the original “road to the ferry” described in the 1752 survey.  This road connected to the 1721 ferry road and is believed to have continued in use by the new mill.     

 

N___2nd Mill Pond Added  -  The dam and mill pond supplying water from the creek which crosses the golf course was likely added by T. Yardley, Jr. in 1769 including a race crossing Newtown Road and entering the Mill Pond.   The race still exists along the lower edge of the large parking lot south of College Ave.  And in the 1990s traces of the race were found along the entire length of the race all the way to the storm culvert under W. Afton Ave located at the top end of the original long narrow mill.

 

 

M___1773 Tavern License

“At the time of the Revolution the inn at the ferry was kept by a man named John Jones, who was licensed in June 1773...”   Reference:  Article titled “Yardley” by  Terry A. McNealy

Jan 15, 2010  Issue of Bucks County Magazine

Terry A. McNealy is a local historian and freelance writer from Holicong, PA.

© Copyright 1992 - 2011 Bucks County Town & Living Magazines

If the tavern was open during revolution,  being a significant source of income,  it likely remained open right up 1790 when Fleming’s opened at the new Yardley ferry house at the foot of today’s Afton Ave.. 

 

O___1779  Green’s Ferry  -   Richard Green (born circa 1700, d.1797)  who owned Green’s Ferry at least by 1779 is designated in the Green family genealogy as “Richard Green (6)” and was the grandson of the original William Green who arrived in Ewing around 1700.  The Erskine 1779 map shows a dotted line crossing Bear Tavern Road at Birmingham, New Jersey with the words  “To Green’s Ferry”  written upside down on a very short dotted line on the side toward the Delaware River.  I copied and inverted the image of the crossroads from the Erskine map published in the 2010 Jacob Creek report. sign_to_ferry.jpg

sign_to_ferry (9K)

P___1779  Erskine Map  -  George Washington’s mapmaker Robert Erskine’s provides a very detailed sketch of Howell’s ferry crossing to Yardleyville on his 1779 map.  Erskine the engineer/surveyor had intimate knowledge of many ferry operations.  The ferry on the New Jersey side had been owned by the Howell’s continuously at Lower Ferry Road right through the war, but sometime prior to 1779 Yardley must have informally taken control of Howell’s and operated the ferry from the Yardleyville side.

In 1779 the ferry was identified (on the Erskine Map) as
Howell's (alias Yardley’s) Ferry

Google Search:  “a short way of saying ‘alias dictus’” meaning “fictitious” [the way it is used here].  The ferry operator might have explained the ferry had temporarily been operated from the PA but that it had really always been owned by Howell.  Also Erskine may have noticed that the pole ferry was still set up to operate from the Yardleyville side. 

R___1786  Sandy Run Road Survey  -  Surveyed and recorded as a private road by Peter Vansant (Ref: RB "A" Pages 168-169, File 310).   This private road to “Ferry” road at Newtown Road location, and to “Ferry” road at 1763 road location, at either end of Sandy Run Road. 

By 1786 the original 1721 Ferry Road to Langhorne must have already been reconstructed, because the original road running along the top of the hill would have required Sandy Run Road to have a steep incline to reach it.   The 1721 road followed the original ground surface rather than the deep cut modern highway, and was located to the northwest side of today’s road. There is a farmer’s gate marking the roadbed on the top of the hill.  The 1721 bridge was located downstream and somewhat more toward Village Square ---the creek having been relocated. 

S___1790 Tavern License  -  Benjamin Fleming takes out a tavern license for Yardley’s ferry house.  Fleming’s is located for us on surveyor Brown’s 1794 survey South River on which a plan of the road has been drawn.  By 1798 the only Fleming shown on the tax list is Benjamin Fleming occupying but not owning the highest value dwelling in Lower Makefield Township and located at the lower edge of L.M.T.

Somewhere around 1790 everything started to change.   By this time the Howell ferry operation at Lower Ferry Road on the New Jersey side was gone, Howell likely at some point having sold his ferry franchise to Richard Green, who eventually made some sort of deal with Yardley.  If Green had a new ferry ramp close to Afton Ave and a cable post installed on the Yardleyville side, it would be possible to operate by cable at his known location directly opposite Afton Avenue.  Yardley’s pole ferry business at the lower end of Yardleyville would increase, and Yardley’s pole business at the upper end would serve as a standby.  We don’t know the details, but attempt to describe what happened based on the end result.

 

T___1793 Newtown Road Survey  (West Afton Ave.)    

Witnessed October 19, 1793;  Recorded May term 1794; Ordered to be opened May 6, 1795

Survey of 33-ft wide road from Newtown to Scammel’s Corner where it intersected the 50-ft wide Philadelphia Road. The entire road being surveyed already existed and had been in use a long time, but was now being declared a public road.  “Metes and bounds ‘ are given between Newtown and the 50-ft wide Philadelphia Road (Langhorne Road).  The rest of the road from Scammell’s Corner and through Yardleyville are drawn in a very precise way but without metes and bounds.  Inside Yardleyville all the early public roads are 33-ft (2-perches x 16.5) wide.  At the foot of Afton Ave. ferry road turns right before it gets to the river, and extends some distance downriver, but the location of the ferry is not shown.

U___1794  T. Yardley, Jr.,  Sells Lakeside  -  and retires to Trenton.  The deed to Vansant is of interest because it identifies and describes the precise location of the dam on the golf course along with the pond behind it and the race or sluice that supplies water to the mill pond in front of Lakeside.  This dam is believed to have always been at the same location, including its replacement in 1996.  I find I never plotted this one, but It would take too long to reconstruct the entire map overlay system now, because all the pieces have to be laid down in a precise sequence originally requiring a laborious trial and error process  ---I have a voice cassette somewhere describing how it was done.  From the dam and pond the survey ends up at a corner in the middle of Main St.,  thence N 38 W 887.7-ft to a corner, thence N 45 W  52 perches to a Walnut Tree, thence N 54 W 73 perches to the creek...   this last course is the Pattison Vanhorn line.

V___1794 Green’s Ferry, NJ  -  In early 1794  Richard Green who owned Green’s Ferry says he now dwells…  "at what had long been known by the name of Green's Ferry opposite Yardley's Ferry in the Township of Trenton and that from the great concourse of people passing and Boatmen landing at Ferry… since Ferry  more than 1/2 mile below has been discontinued on the Pennsylvania side."

Green’s statement in 1794 indicated the following:

1 – there was no longer a ferry operating opposite the ferry on this side one mile below

2 – the ferry on this side below had been the Yardley ferry

3 – business had greatly increased at Green’s ferry across from center of Yardleyville

4 – this implies there was no ferry on the NJ side at Lower Ferry Road

 

W___1794  S. River Road Survey  -  Surveyed Oct 1794 by John Brown

1___The word “Ferry” is shown at [what appears to be] the foot of Afton Ave

2___Identifies precise location of Fleming’s 

3___shows no structure in vicinity of Lanrick Manor lot

4___shows Yardley easement below Letchworth 

The simplest explanation of why the Yardley ferry house cited in 1763 near the later Lanrick Manor site, cited in the 1775 Moon survey along the river somewhere below the 1721 road, and again cited near the later Lanrick Manor site in 1796, might be that in the year 1794 it was abandoned.   Whether or not the Yardley ferry house still existed on the Lanrick Manor site,  surveyor John Brown certainly knew the whole story.  If Flemings was open on Thursday, October 30, 1794, my guess would be that he stopped there.  That may also have been where he met with William Harvey  Joseph  Gillingham, W. Dean, Abraham Warner, and Christ Wirtz after they witnessed his survey on 31st day of October, 1794 [Date typos corrected 12-10-2011]

X___1795  Richard Green Leases Yardley’s Ferry  -     “late in possession of Richard Green with the Tavern and Ferry House in which the said Richard hath for several years heretofore lived”  [Ref: April 13, 1800 Thomas Yardley deed]

Richard Green had emerged at least as early as 1779 as the owner of Green’s Ferry and is identified by a signpost shown on the 1779 Erskine map.  By 1794 he had already been operating for many years across from the foot of Afton Ave, possibly on a lease or purchase from Howell.  He had sons ready to take over the business.  Howell may have already introduced some sort of hemp cable operation at Lower Ferry Road.  This is still being investigated. 

A overhead hemp cable operation at the end of E. Afton appears to be entirely feasible.  It would make sense at the foot of Afton that Green would want to use a “current” ferry,  with an overhead cable the same as other known locations on the Delaware River, if he was handling all the traffic from the previous crossing one-half mile below.  It would appear that he either already had a cable closer to the foot of Afton Ave.  or was prepared to install one in 1795.  The 1721 ferry road ramp must have always remained at the same location up until whenever the new ramp was built at the new location 150-ft below Afton Ave.  It does not appear there was ever a ferry ramp at the precise foot of Afton Ave, but that the actual ramp was close enough to make it look that way.

All my comments regarding the possibile use of current ferries in Yardleyville are speculative at this time.

Y___1795  Richard Green Relocates to Yardleyville

Ref: 1800s deed conveying ferry to Joseph & George Green - from Mill creek to just below College Ave... late in possession of Richard Green with the Tavern and Ferry House [at or near Flemings’] which the said Richard hath for several years "heretofore" lived... 

The 1800s deed indicates that Richard Green is living at the Tavern & Ferry House for about  3-yrs and a period from early 1795, through 1796, until late Jan 1797 would fit all the known information.   His son Richard (10) is said to have moved to Yardley ---the details are not known but do not appear to affect the sequence of events in the timeline.  Richard Green (6) sons Joseph and George Green, no doubt continued to lease the ferry up until they purchased it in 1800. 

The final 40 years or so the entire ferry activity was centered on and near the parcel later owned by the Yardleyville Bridge Company.  For a period of years it was owned and operated by Joseph and George Green, followed by a successive list of owners from families in Yardleyville.

 

Z___Circa 1795  T. Yardley, Jr.  Authorizes New Ferry Ramp   

Prior to about 1790 the entire Yardley ferry operation had always been oriented downriver from the village, with the center of operations at the Yardley ferry house near today’s Letchworth Avenue and cited in both the 1763 road return and 1796 road abandonment.  And at one point  T. Yardley, Jr.  had even purchased Gould’s Ferry at Lower Ferry Road on the NJ side.  Throughout this period there would have been no apparent reason for him to build a new ferry ramp at the eventual final locatin 150-ft below East Afton Avenue. 

The 1721 ferry ramp was probably relocated to the new location      -ft below the centerline of Afton Ave. somewhere between about 1786 to no later than 1796.  This pole ferry operation on the Yardleyville side could still operate when needed and serve as a back-up to a cable ferry.  The 1721 ferry ramp would not be required because a new ferry ramp at the lower end of the Bridge Company property could also be served by the landing below College Ave, and we note that this landing was included in the lands purchased by Joseph and George Green.  The question of whether the new ramp was served only by Afton Ave. or by a 2-road system has not been resolved.

There is no indication that Yardley ever operated a cable ferry, and assuming there was a cable ferry at East Afton, it was operated by Green.   Yardley could  have authorized its installation at any time but I suspect it was Richard Green who installed the new ramp, probably in 1795.  

Green had leased the Yardley ferry operation, and was living in the Yardley ferry house in circa 1795.  If everything worked out as he predicted, he would convert the lease to a purchase.

Z-1___Description of New Ferry Ramp:

One of the Longshore deeds dated 1893 (describing a group of lots being conveyed to Hoff) included a course coming up from the Delaware River.  The course was described as the southeasterly side of the “old ferry road.”  The ramp was constructed at a location just inside what later became the Yardleyville Bridge Company property at the corner of  W. Afton and S. River Road.  The bearing and distance along the edge of the “old ferry road” was given.  What is uncertain is whether this part of the road described all the way to the southwesterly side of river road ---at that point the survey starts describbing the lots which are being conveyed to Hoff--- whether the road (essentially the ferry ramp) was served by a single road along Afton Ave. which was known to already exist as a public road, or additionally by a new road possibly 50-ft wide (same as Philadelphia Road cited in the 1794 Newtown to Yardley’s ferry road return) providing 2-way traffic from the vicinity of the new ramp directly to the remaining part (Segment “C”) of the 1721 road  or perhaps later to public road “E” thereby providing a two road connection to the ferry below the Vanhorn line, with one of the roads accommodating 2-way traffic as traffic backup waiting for the ferry to return.  When the new ferry was built, the existing 1721 ferry ramp and lower part of Segment “A” were very likely abandoned because of maintenance problems during floods, when if eroded it would be a cross connection to the river.

 

AA___Shoemaker Deed  1871  (E. Afton Ave):   Several years ago M-Th purchased (at a stamp club auction) an original full size 1871 deed for the Shoemaker property on E. Afton Ave.   I only recently discovered that the depth of the Shoemaker lot was 201-ft and 6-in  whereas the lot shown on the tax map was only 150-ft, both measured from the centerline of Afton Ave.  This change in the depth of the Shoemaker suggested the possibility of a 50-ft ferry road having at one time existed behind the Shoemaker lot.  The house on this lot was a rental probably built within two years after the ferry closed.  

 

One of the other lots (the first lot below the Pattison Vanhorn line) was sold by Jolly Longshore in 1736 to Charlie Young  immediately after he acquired the overall land that same year.  I believe the Shoemaker House was built at that same time.  The Shoemaker lot was not subdivided from the rest of the land until 1871.  It would be perfectly logical for the person occupying the house to be allowed to use the abandoned road behind their house and maybe fence it off.   It would be equally logical to allow that same land to be part of the lot when it was subdivided from the remaining property.  Longshore had plenty of land, but when it came time to subdivide the overall property if they bought it back the 50-ft to even off the subdivision line.  Other factors such as the non-symmetrical size of the lot,  bearing or rear line different from centerline of Afton, indicated something unusual going on here.  The bearing of the rear property line of Shoemaker’s lot was    N 43-degrees 22-minutes 5-seconds W.  in 1871.  In 1893 the bearing of the “the old ferry road” in the 1893 Hoff deed  was S 24-degrees  55-minutes W, a difference of about 18-degrees.  See par.  “   ” for analysis of the Hoff deed.

 

BB___Circa 1795  Possible “Ferry Road”  -   Possible alternate road to ferry located behind the houses on E. Afton and below the Pattison Vanhorn line (Tax Lots 76 and 77).  This road if it existed, ran directly from the top of the circa 1795 ferry ramp to the 1721 ferry road, and would be the alternate to the public road to the ferry as shown on the 1794 Newtown to Yardley’s ferry survey.  This possible alternate route behind the lots on E. Afton would connect to the 1721 road and thereby create a two-road connection to the new ferry ramp, the other road being the public road down E. Afton itself as shown in the 1894 Newtown Road survey.  See par. “    ” for analysis of the Hoff deed.

CC___The Two Road Option: 

Alt. Route A  -  A Parallel and adjacent to rear property line of the Shoemaker lot  rear line, either inside or outside the lot,  which in 1871 was 201-ft from the centerline of today’s Afton Ave, but sometime before the Longshore 1893 subdivision was shifted to a line 150-ft from centerline of E. Afton.  This location would result in a road which intersected the 1721 ferry road in the vicinity of the Pattison Van Horn line.    

Alt. Route B:  If the  “Possible Ferry Road”  road maintained the same bearing as the new ferry ramp,  it would connect to the 1721 ferry road somewhere near the dead-end of Ferry Street.  The 201-ft deep Shoemaker appears to accommodate this location, toward the dead-end of the modern 1893 Ferry Street where the original Brock Mill service road ran past the left end of the ridge, or up onto the ridge line along Bell Ave.  Adoption of the “Two Road Option” probably depends on the amount of traffic.  It would also have provided a way of accommodating back-ups.

There is the possibility that the new ferry ramp was built earlier at a time when the segment “A” of the 1721 road provided a straight through bypass of some sort.  It’s hard to visualize all the ferry traffic flowing through the public road which went in and out of the mill.  A word of caution...   I’m still hoping to find out more about cable ferries by linking to a site in England which has information on actual ferry locations in various villages, or from information uncovered by folks on the other side of the river. 

DD___1796 survey vacating the 1763 road

Beginning near Thomas Yeardley’s ferry house, thence upon Thomas Yeardley’s land...

[1]  S 37 E  36 p [594-ft] to a stake, thence

[2]  S 34 W  128  p [2112-ft] to a stake set in the side of a hill, thence

[3]  S 14 W  57 p [940.5-ft] to  corner of John Doble’s and land belonging to the school house

In 1796 courses 1, 2, and part of 3 were vacated.  This changed the 3rd course to the following:

[3]  S 14 W  about 10 p  [165-ft] of the 57  [940.5-ft]  into the Wrightstown and Trenton Road

Total length of road being vacated = 2,871-ft

Width of road = 30-ft

The above survey confirms Yardley ferry house is undoubtedly still at Lanrick Manor site in 1796.  The individuals appointed by the court and ordered to inspect the land to determined if the public road can be closed to the public, certainly carried out the order.  And since the original 1763 survey had not measured the distance to Main Street, because chances of finding that stake or its even still being there after 32-years were remote, it would have been resurveyed.

 

EE___1798 Tax List  -  “Window Pane” Tax

Tax List___ U.S. Tax List of 1798 shows only two building being taxed on the 111-acre tract on Ralph Thompson’s map.  Richard Green is the Possessor or Occupant of the Dwelling House, etc. with a valuation of $800, and reputedly owned by Thomas Yardley.  Enoch Green is the Possessor or Occupant of the Dwelling House, etc. having a valuation of $150, which is reputedly owned by Richard Green.  No other dwellings are shown in the 1112-acre tract.  This is not surprising since there were very few building anywhere in the village at that early date. 

FF___Ralph Thompson’s Maps

Following was copied from: CartoBibliography of Pennsylvania Maps Prior to 1800
Part 1: Maps in the Library of Congress

by John W. Docktor

 

“19_T7
Ralph N. Thompson, 169-
Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, map of original grantees / the ... grantee map has been prepared by Ralph N. Thompson, Director of Research, Lower Makefield Historical Society
Size: 44x55 cm. Scale of 1: 19,200 G3824.L79G465 169- .T4
"The grantee map in dark ink overlays a modern street map ..." and was made by Ralph N, Thompson in 1987. It shows land grants with grantees' names, town of origin, and acreage around the borough of Yardley. See 298T7”

 

“298T7
Ralph N. Thompson, 1798
Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, historical map 1798 / the historical map has been prepared by Ralph N. Thompson, Director of Research, Lower Makefield Historical Society
Size: 44x55 cm. Scale of 1: 19,200 G3824.L79G46 1798 .T4
"This map of Lower Makefield Township has been reconstructed from the United States House Tax List of 1798 and contemporary deeds and surveys" by Ralph N. Thompson in 1988. It shows land tracts and the owners' names. The town of Yardley is included. See 19_T7”

 

GG___Ralph Thompson Analysis based on 1798 tax list and Yardley deed to Green brothers:

1___There were only two dwelling units on 111-acre tract shown on Thompson map

2___ one of those dwellings had high valuation of $800

3___one  of those dwellings had low valuation of $150

4___Richard Green was living in the $800 dwelling owned by T. Yardley, Jr. 

5___Enoch Green was living in the $150 house owned by Green

6___The 1800 deed revealed late Richard Green had lived in Ferry House for several years 

Ralph Thompson uncovered the information in items 1-6 above.  He concluded that the ferry house existed somewhere on the 111-acres in 1798,  that the dwelling assessed at $800 was the ferry house and tavern, that Richard Green had moved into the Yardley ferry house about 1795,  and that 2nd dwelling where Enoch Green was living must be a wooden dwelling existed at that time somewhere on the 111-acres. There are no other known buildings in the 111-acre tract.

 If the building assessed for $150 was the Yardley ferry house, it may have had a value much higher than $150.  There may be a paradox here that blinded me for many years.  If the Yardley ferry house had a limited number of small windows, its real market value could have been much higher.  It would be a case where the very tax document that revealed all the detailed information about it to us, simultaneously concealed its true value. Also the extent to which the old Yardley ferry house was a smaller structure than the full height  “service wing” existing today might affect the assessment. See HABS report referenced in letter dated March 30, 2011 to Susan Taylor, Pres. Yardley Historical Association.

If that second dwelling leased by Richard Green was not the old ferry house, where was Enoch Green living?  There were only two dwelling listed on the 111-acre tract.

END OF 18TH CENTURY

BEGIN 19TH CENTURY

The fact that a 2nd dwelling is part of the deal fundamentally suggests that it is also part of the ferry operation.  On this basis, the “old ferry house” becomes the prime candidate for Dwelling #2 on the 1798 tax list.

Is the “kitchen-wing” of the 1805 Mansion the Yardley ferry house?

The Yardley ferry house has been proved to be on the Lanrick Manor site at least up to December 1795.  Enoch Green’s move into Dwelling No 2 on the 1798 tax list might have been any time from 1795 to 1798, and likely would not move too soon after paying the 1798 tax.

 

An 1742 date would indicate Thomas Yardley, Sr. who built Lakeside in 1728,  also built the ferry house, which being located in a remote location along the river was also likely built in stone.  At that location it likely had a limited number of small windows, and the HABS report indicates the “kitchen-wing” may originally been only one story high. 

If Not on the Site of Lanrick Manor, Then Where?

If the Yardley ferry house is believed to have been torn down sometime between 1795 and 1798, then we are left still searching for the 2nd dwelling on the 1798 tax list.

 

HH___1807 Road Return

Lower Makefield Twp - Record of Roads June Term 1807  pg 350  file 590

June 3rd 1807 Confirmed and Road to be Recorded

In pursuance of the written order we have viewed the ground within mentioned and in finding the Alteration applied for to be an improvement and would be more advantageous to the Public because not only by shortening the distance but by putting it on ground. That would admit of a road of proper width which the old one does not by reason of the race and buildings.  Therefore have made the alteration by laying out the new road as follows:

Beginning at the intersection within aforementioned ground of the Newtown and New Hope roads, then N 38 degrees E (so as to clear the N.W. corner of the store 16 ½ feet) 25 perches [412.5-ft] in to the old road leading to the ferry between the New Grist Mill and Saw Mill which we report to be a public road of 2 perches [33-ft] in width.  The other being of that width and that Atlee & Kinsey the present owner of the land and Mills erect the necessary Bridge across the Sawmill race and then upon the whole being completed the old part of the road, that this supplieth to wit from said beginning N 18 degrees E  19 perches [313.5] and N 80 degrees E 10 [165-ft] perches be vacated  [10 p. private  &  20 p. public].

Observations:

1_The corner of Atlee’s is 16.5-ft from the surveyor’s line, thereby allowing a 33-ft road to get past Atlee’s store, if my interpretation is correct.  Or is he allowing 1-perch between the edge of the road and the store?

2_The new 1807 road is definitely as not perpendicular to Main Street (the way it may be plotted on some deeds) and this is reinforced by the  words “clearing the corner” of the store as well as the property line’s location of the ground today The store is shown on the drawing parallel to Main Street.

3_There is an additional course not included in the description, but shown on the plan starting at the corner where the “old road to the ferry” connects to E. Afton.  The bearing and distance is shown on the plan to be N 35 E  34 perches.

4_The additional course toward the river shown on the plan but not included in the description is shown at the river is a somewhat different way than the previous 1794 (Rev) Newtown to Yardley’s ferry road return.  The 1794(Rev) plan precisely drawn but with no bearings or distances inside Yardleyville shows two dotted lines (obviously 33-ft wide) not reaching the river and turning right at S. River Rd., extending some short distance down S. River Rd with no ferry shown.  The 1807 plan precisely drawn shows centerline and two dotted line (long dots) extending all the way to the river, with a side road consisting of two dotted lines, using short dots, closer together as though a smaller side road, similarly extending some short distance down S. River Rd. with no ferry shown. The 1822 deed turns back toward the mouth of Brock Creek and therefore contains no information, except for the segment of ferry road above the Pattison Vanhorn line.  The 1829 plan very clearly shows the one road to the river going down E. Afton and bending at River Road  with no connection of any kind connecting to the river at the foot of Afton, and proceeding for a considerable distance down River Road with no ferry shown.

5_Therefore, although there is no 1807 tie-in at Main Street (except for the precise drawing) there is a good tie-in along both the road out of the mill and the road along E. Afton (both roads being part of the old road to the ferry)

6_If the Road to New Hope is extended on the drawing, the angle of this road with the new road is roughly 7-degrees which corresponds to a N 45 W estimated bearing of Main St., exactly the same as the bearing of Main St. toward Depuy’s lot, and yet the bearing along Main St. from Depuy’s lot to the 1721 road is not given, nor is the bearing of the road 16.5-ft form the corner of Atlee’s given. 

7_The 1807 cut-off bypassed the full length of the 1794 road into the mill and both roads started at the same beginning point in the middle of Main St.  Our graphics solution shows this point was about 50-ft south-east from the point where the original 1721 road met Main Street.

 

JJ___Sept 9, 1822  Sheriff Brock to Dungan  -  Exposed to public sale Nov 26       

DUNGAN_DEED_1822.docx

[This deed encloses the lands associated with the Yardley Mill.  We selected it because it includes the following 146.85-ft section of the Ferry Road located above the bend in E. Afton Ave:]

[21] N  45  E   8.9 p   (146.85-ft) to the line of the Ferry Road Land

[The bend is located on the Pattison Vanhorn line, which is the same line as the so-called “Ferry Road Land”]

Beginning at [Brock] creek near junction with river thence by Joseph Greens land...  This is the parcel which includes the grist mill and associated waterways as of 1822.  The survey starts at the mouth of Brock Creek and proceeds counterclockwise.  The deed  provides numerous  useful pieces of information:

Course [6] below describes arriving at Newtown Rd. (W. Afton Ave.) and proceeding in the direction of Main Street:

 [6]   S 45.25 E   31.2 p   (515-ft) to middle Newtown Road,

 now along said road [with course [6] proceeding in a northeast direction on W. Afton Ave to the point where the storm culvert passes under the road]

[7]   N 88  E   29.5 p   (487-ft) [to the water ditch],

 thence along middle of water ditch of the stream that comes from Timothy Howell’s  [earlier deeds described crossing a ditch and then turning right along a race]

[8]   S  22.5  E   29.1 p   (400-ft)  [along the ditch]

[9]   S  61  E   6.2.2   (102-ft)  [along the ditch]

[10]   N  56  E   27.8 p   (459-ft)  [turning from the ditch toward S. Main St.] all by Joshua Mitchell’s land to a stone in Fallsington Road, thence along said road [S. Main St]

Course [11] below goes along Main St until it encounters Depuy’s lot which is excluded from the parcel being conveyed,

[11]   N  45  W   8.9 p   (147-ft) to corner John Depuy’s lot, thence by same

 

[the following are 3 sides of Depuy’s lot on S. Main St – all 4 corners of the lot are square]

[12]   S  45  W  8 p   (132-ft) 

[13]   N  45  W   6 p  +  1-ft    (total is 100-ft)

[14]   N  45  E   8 p   (132-ft)  to middle of said Fallsington Road, thence

and then continues to the Ferry Road located on the far side of Stapler’s

[15]  along same [Main St.] to the said Newtown & the Ferry Road  [the 1822 ferry road]

The bearing and the distance between Depuy’s lot and Ferry Rd. is not given.  The 1822 surveyor as well as other surveyors who followed, did not know the location of the 1822 ferry road close enough to completely describe it.  Both the original 1794 road to the mill and the 1807 cut-off started at the same point in the middle of Main Street and the overlay map composite shows this point was about 50-ft south from where the 1721 road crossed Main St.

[16]   along it [the ferry road] by Stapler’s lot  about 10 p  [the bearing is not given and the distance is estimated  thence...

 

The next course is a 503-ft long line parallel to Main St. but we need to avoid falling into the trap of assuming the missing bearing of course [16]  was perpendicular to Main St.  Using a protractor the angle on the map between Main St. and the road into the mill is about 83-degrees instead of 90-degrees perpendicular.

 

 [17]   S  45  E   30.5 p   (503-ft)  to the line of Joseph Lovett, thence by same...

In 1999 we made two separate overlays of the 1822 road, cutting them apart at Main St. thereby separating the two parts believed to be accurate from the two courses for which complete information was not provided.    

This 503-ft distance helps us adjust out colored plastic overlays, thereby partly contributing to our graphics solution for the location of the 1721 ferry road.  The course continues along the rear of lots on the northeasterly side of S. Main St. and parallel to the section of Main St. described in course [11] on Main St. 

[18]   N  45  E   4.2 p   (69-ft)

[19]   S  45  E   1.6 p   (26-ft), thence by said Mitchell’s land

[20]   N  44  E   22 p   (363-ft) to corner of Aaron Larue’s lot, thence by same

[21]   N  53  W   23 p   (380-ft) to the edge of said Ferry Road, thence by same

[22]N  45  E   8.9 p   (146.85-ft) [along the 1794/1807/1822 Ferry Rd]  to the line of the Ferry Road Land, and thence  [This section of Ferry Rd. measured  147-ft long,  and ends at the bend in E. Afton Ave, said bend being located on the Pattison Vanhorn line.  ]

 

[23]   along said line to the creek  and

 [24]   down the creek to the place of Beginning.   

Reserving there out Benjamin Pidcock’s and Brown’s 2 small lots:

I am interpreting it correctly, this deed refers to a Brown Property on the Min Street side of the Pattison Vanhorn line.  and this must be the Brown lot referred to in the Charlie Young lot Jolly Longshore sold to C. Young.  If so this may explain the shallow depth of the C. Young lot where the rear right corner appears to be exactly at the edge of the 33-ft wide 1721 Road.

KK___Road Return for 1829    

This road return shows the mill pond has been expanded to full size.  This expansion was handled quite differently from the first.  The first expansion was carried out prior to 1794 and West Afton Ave.  was shifted to a new line parallel to the 1721 road and intersecting Main St. about 50-ft south of the 1721 crossing.  The 1721 road now submerged under the mill pond was no doubt abandoned down to the Vanhorn line. 

The final expansion of the lake occurred between 1822 and 1829.  We must be missing a road return showing W. Afton moved on an angle away from the lake so that so that came in another 50-ft or so further south, making it roughly a 100-ft from the 1721 road.  That same missing return should show the 1794/1807/1822 road into the mill extended so that coming down W. Afton the turn into the mill would be at the left end of Hyatt Drugstore parking lot.  This is the way the 1829 shows the road layout that is being vacated.   This explanation was arrived at mostly from the drawing.  The description looks accurate although I did not analyze it.

LL___1835 Hough Subdivision Plan Lot #2   

This subdivision was carefully analyzed because it our closest link to the 1798 tax list and does show or involve a number of structures some of which are possible candidates for Dwelling #2 on tax list.   Lot #2 extended all the way from river road up to the Pattison Vanhorn line but did not include the area on the creek side of Afton Ave.  The house and barn known to have been located on Lot #2 must have been substantial structures somewhat equivalent in value to the Belville home built in 1805, and on this basis alone cannot be identified as Dwelling #2 with low tax assessment on the 1798 tax list.  In addition any mansion house facing the river would have been shown on the 1794 road survey, because there are mansions shown between Yardleyville and Morrisville.

In 1794 only a single structure “Fleming’s” is shown.  We are looking for Dwelling No. 2 listed on the 1798 “window pane” tax assessment.  There are what appear to be two small structures shown on the 1836, one somewhere around Ferry St. and the other between Ferry St. and Afton Ave.  It is not certain that these are the house and barn on Hough Lot #2, because nothing is shown at the 1805 Vansant site on Lot #1.  If this is true, then it might make sense that neither mansion house on either Lot #1 or Lot #2 of the Hough plan were shown, leaving the two small structures as candidates for the missing dwelling #2 on the tax list.

The house I referred to previously as the “mystery house” must be the Mansion House on Lot #2 of the Hough Plan.  It is the prominent structure on the 1850 map is also shown on the 1875 maps and with a long rectangular lot extending downriver along the high berm of the river.  The house and barn must have both burned sometime between 1875 and 1891 because nothing is shown on the 1891 railroad map or the 1893 Longshore subdivision map.

The house on Lot #2  sold inherited by Isaac Margerum is assumed to be the same structure shown on the 1851 and 1875 maps, and that it was built by Joseph Green at the same time that George Green moved into the 1805 Vansant mansion.  Its location next to the 1721 ferry road indicates it might have served some sort of additional function in the ferry operation. 

MM___Circa 1836  -  Longshore Sells  lot  to Charlie Young  - 

NN___1841  Covered Bridge Destroyed by Flood

OO___1848  Scattergood living in the Ferry House  -  Elisha G. Scattergood moved into the Ferry House.  He lived there until 1869.  In 1880 to 1903 he moved back to the Bridge and was Bridge keeper until October 10 1903.  This statement indicates 1) Ferry House existed in 1848 through 1869, 2) Elisha G. Scattergood lived in said ferry house that same period.  Since the ferry house was owned by Scattergood who owned the land along the river starting at and upriver from E. Afton,  and since the early maps showed part of Afton Ave was ferry road, and since the Yardley Inn was said to have been built before the first bridge was constructed, the most logical location was somewhere near the Yardley Inn.  This was later confirmed when we found Fleming’s.

PP___Shoemaker Deed  1871  (E. Afton Ave.):

The 1871  deed from Susan Yardley to Shoemaker:  Several years ago M-Th purchased (at a stamp club auction) an original 1871 deed for the Shoemaker property on E. Afton Ave.  It mentioned an alley behind the property.  Only recently I noted that the depth of the Shoemaker lot was 201-ft and 6-in  whereas the lot shown on the tax map was only 150-ft,  both measured from the centerline of the road.  This difference suggested the possibility of a road 50-ft road, the same width as Philadelphia Pike at the top of Scammel’s hill.  The bearing of the rear property line of Shoemaker’s lot was N 43-degrees 22-minutes 5-seconds W.  in 1871. 

QQ___Longshore Estate to Hoff (1893)

In 1893 the Longshore estate land was being sold off.  The 8-lot parcel being sold to Hoff included a description which started as follows:

The 1793 Hoff Deed identifies the old ferry road from edge of water to river bank:

“Beginning at low water mark on the River Delaware, the southerly side of the old ferry road,

 a corner of lands now of Yardleyville Delaware Bridge Company, thence by same

1)___ S 24  55  W  105 ft and

2)___N 65  5  W  9.5-ft   to the corner of a lot recently conveyed by the said George Justice executor to the said Bridge Company...” 

Documents Used to Determine if Road Exists:

1___One of the Longshore deeds included a course coming up from the river and described as the southeasterly side of the “old ferry road.”

2___One of the deeds on E. Afton included the statement “-----------------along an 11-alley”

3___An original 1871 deed for an existing house on E. Afton provided a piece of the puzzle.

4___The 1752 survey reference to “the road that leads to the ferry”  identifies a very early circa 1713 road that in 1752 undoubtedly tied-in to the 1721 ferry road

It’s clear that the 105-ft survey course is along the southerly side of the old ferry road and that the surveyed line then takes a 90-degree turn to the right at the end of the first course.  What direction the road took is not clear:  Does it turn right, or continue straight ahead, or turn onto a line parallel to the rear of lots along Afton?  Why is the rear line of lots along Afton not parallel to the centerline of Afton?

 

The 1893 Longshore Estate Subdivision was a fine piece of engineering work, and provided a key template for the map overlay system. 

 

RR___ The Ferryman’s House:   

We are looking for Dwelling No. 2 listed on the 1798 “window pane” tax assessment.

a___ Fleming’s is the only structure shown on the 1794 survey of river road.  It is located north of Afton Ave.  We know its location - We know Richard Green was there  -   Our analysis indicates there was no other possible location for the dwelling having the high assessment. 

 

b___Two small structures shown on the 1835 Hough plan, one somewhere around Ferry St. and the other between Ferry St. and Afton Ave, although the scale is hard to read.  It is possible that the upper of these was a building formerly used by the ferry, and converted into the barn on Hough #2 when the ferry closed.   The lower structure may be Item “d”  below, but this somehow doesn’t ring true, because the Hough Plan does not show a mansion house on Lot 1.  If no mansion houses were shown anywhere, then the lower of these two small structures might be Dwelling #2 on 1798 Tax List.

 

c___Another candidate is the del Vecchio home, Lot 77 on the tax map, based on its close proximity to the Ferry House & Tavern, the 1834 Yardleyville Bridge, the relocated 1795 ferry ramp, and possibly a ferry road having been along its rear property line.  It appears to have been built by Jolly Longshore around 1836 possibly to replace an earlier structure, or possibly as the first bridge keeper’s house.  I am not aware of the details (or the implications) concerning the fact that it was the house on “Quality Row.”

 

d___ The house known to have been located on Lot #2  must have been somewhat equivalent in value to the Belville home built in 1805, which probably eliminates it from consideration.

 

e___It might have been a wooden building built by Richard Green, perhaps a forerunner of the barn near the new ferry house. This might explain why Richard Green was listed as the owner, whereas Thomas Yardley was listed as the owner of the ferry house and tavern. 

 

All of the above (Items “a” to “e”) are speculative since we have no further information on exactly what structures other than Fleming’s may have existed inside the 111-Acres tract prior to 1798 or between 1798 and 1835.