Place Names in Bucks County Pennsylvania

This collection provides a history of place names in Bucks County Pennsylvania. Each article contained within speaks of a specific geographic location or feature. They provide brief histories about the naming of place names in Bucks County Pennsylvania, the people who settled them, and the industry rising within them.

Names of places have tremendous human interest. Men have fought over them, and oftentimes a proposal for a change will meet with violent community opposition. A place name is not easily destroyed. It persists for years after being replaced by another. A well-know historical writer of the 1870’s almost invariably used in his manuscript journal the seventeenth century name of Four Lanes End for Langhorne and nearly everybody knew what town he had in mind. There are instances in Bucks County where time has wiped out every vestige of a village, yet its name survives.

At some time or another it becomes desirable or even necessary to know why, how or when a certain place came to be known by the name it bears. A name may be spoken or written daily for years without a thought given to its origin or significance, when suddenly something starts an inquiry along that line, and it may not be readily answered. Information is likely to be scant, or scattered, or unreliable; so it was thought that comparatively accurate data, collected and made accessible in printed form – a place-names historical reference book, so to speak, would be timely.

Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and Stations in Bucks County Pennsylvania

• Albrights Corner, Pennsylvania
• Almont, Pennsylvania
• Anchor, Pennsylvania
• Andalusia, Pennsylvania
• Andalusia Wharf, Pennsylvania
• Applebachsville, Pennsylvania
• Aquetong, Pennsylvania
• Argus
  A hamlet in West Rockhill Township, in Ridge Valley, three miles west of Sellersville.
• Babytown, Pennsylvania
• Barnsleys Ford, Pennsylvania
• Bath, Pennsylvania
• Bean, Pennsylvania
  Village in northwestern Hilltown Township on the Bethlehem Pike (Route 309) near West Rockhill Township line. It was so named for the Bean family, who for many years were prominent residents there. It was made a post office June 2, 1879, with John R. Bean as the first postmaster. The office has been discontinued and mail is supplied by Telford rural delivery.
• Beckytown, Pennsylvania
  Name of a small group of houses in northeastern Buckingham Township on the road from Holicong to Mechanicsville and about midway between those villages. It was named for Rebecca Watson, property owner and long a resident there.
• Bedminster, Pennsylvania
• Bedminster Centre, Pennsylvania
  A small village in Bedminster Township on the road from Bedminster to the Deep Run Presbyterian Church, a short distance west of Bedminster. Its mail service is by Perkasie R. D. 2. The polling place for East Bedminster election district is Bedminster Centre and for the west district Bedminster.
• Bedminster Township, Pennsylvania
• Bennetts Corner, Pennsylvania
• Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania
• Bethon, Pennsylvania
  Village in northwestern Hilltown Township at the intersection of Bethlehem Pike (Route 309) and Souderton and Dublin Pike (Route 270). The name was coined from the word Bethlehem by a real estate promoter who built most of the houses. The village is a short distance south of Pennville and mail is supplied by Telford rural delivery.
• Blooming Glen, Pennsylvania
• Breadyville, Pennsylvania
• Brick Tavern, Pennsylvania
  Village, comprising a store, mill, school house, hotel and a number of dwellings in the northeastern part of Milford Township, near the Richland Township line. It takes its name from its Brick Tavern, an ancient inn. In August, 1889, a post office was established with Joseph Shelly as the first postmaster. It is now served by Quakertown rural delivery.
• Bridgeton Township, Pennsylvania
• Bridge Valley, Pennsylvania
• Bridgewater, Pennsylvania
• Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania
• Bristol Township, Pennsylvania
• Broad Axe, Pennsylvania
• Buckingham, Pennsylvania
• Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania
• Buckmanville, Pennsylvania
• Bucksville, Pennsylvania
  A hamlet near Revere in Nockamixon Township.
• Bucktoe, Pennsylvania
• Bulltown, Pennsylvania
• Bunker Hill, Pennsylvania
  Hamlet of a half dozen houses in Clay Ridge School District of Tinicum Township, in the extreme mid-western part of the township near the line between Tinicum and Nockamixon Townships. It lies near Beaver Falls on Beaver Creek. The name is doubtless from the Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. An old private graveyard lies east of Clay Ridge Road.
• Bursonville, Pennsylvania
• Bycot, Pennsylvania
  A station on the Northeast Pennsylvania Railroad in Buckingham Township between Buckingham and Holicong stations. The proximity of “Bycot House,” the country home of Chief Justice Edward M. Paxson, suggested the name. Bycot House in the parish of Stowe, Oxfordshire, England, is said to have been the ancestral home of the Paxson family for generations. Justice Paxson upon a visit to England about the year 1900 found a Henry Paxson still occupying the old family seat.
• California, Pennsylvania
• Carversville, Pennsylvania
• Castle Valley, Pennsylvania
• Centre Bridge, Pennsylvania
• Chain Bridge, Pennsylvania
• Chalfont, Pennsylvania
• Chicken Foot, Pennsylvania
  This was the name of a point of road convergence rather than that of a village. Five roads meet at a point in southeastern Middletown Township near the Falls Township line between Lincoln Highway and Emilie, and on maps the roads at this point form the figure of a chicken footprint. From early times this has been a landmark for residents of the lower part of the county.
• Chinquapin, Pennsylvania
• Churchville, Pennsylvania
• Clay Ridge, Pennsylvania
  Hamlet in midwestern Tinicum Township, about a half mile east of Bunker Hill. The Clay Ridge school house, with its three acres of grounds, forms part of the settlement. Headquarters lies a mile or more to the south. Clay Ridge is wholly within the Tinicum Swamp Line and was so named from its situation on an elevation in the clay soil district.
• Clayton, Pennsylvania
• Clymerville, Pennsylvania
  At one time the name of the lower end of Sellersville, the part south of the Northeast Branch of Perkiomen Creek. It is said to have had a separate post office, named Clymerville from the Clymer or Clemmer family residing there. Record of the date of establishing such a post office is lacking. This is the place referred to as “Clemmershteddle” by Walter E. Baum in One Hundred Years, p. 23. ¹
• Cornell, Pennsylvania
• Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania
• Cottageville, Pennsylvania
  Village in the extreme northwestern corner of Solebury Township on Carversville Road. In honor of Dr. Isaiah Michener the name was changed to Michener in March, 190s, when the post office was established. Some years ago the office was abandoned. Mail is now supplied by rural delivery and the place is again known by its old name of Cottageville.
• Cressman, Pennsylvania
  Former village in Milford Township, for many years a post office. It is now a part of Trumbauersville and the post office has been discontinued. The two post offices were within a mile of each other.
• Cross Keys, Pennsylvania
• Croydon, Pennsylvania
• Danboro, Pennsylvania
• Danneltown, Pennsylvania
• Davisville, Pennsylvania
• Derstein, Pennsylvania
• Devils Half Acre, Pennsylvania
• Doanston, Pennsylvania
  Near Haycock Mountain, once the property of Eleazar Doan who removed from here to Plumstead in 1788, where he bought the old Price tavern, which he ran until his death in 1811. ²
• Dolington, Pennsylvania
• Doylestown Borough, Pennsylvania
• Doylestown Township, Pennsylvania
• Dublin, Pennsylvania
• Dunks Ferry, Pennsylvania
• Durham, Pennsylvania
• Durham Furnace, Pennsylvania
• Durham Township, Pennsylvania
• Dyerstown, Pennsylvania
• Eddington, Pennsylvania
• Edgely, Pennsylvania
• Edgewood, Pennsylvania
  Village in the northern part of Middletown Township on the road from Langhorne to Yardley (Route 252). Edgewood was a name one time applied to Woodside, a village in western Lower Makefield Township on the same road (Route 252), between the present Edgewood and Yardley. It is probable that when Woodside was made a post office, its discarded name was adopted by its neighboring village. Rich farms abound in the countryside and the enterprising Edgewood Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, looks closely after community interests.
• Edison, Pennsylvania
• Elephant, Pennsylvania (The)
• Emilie, Pennsylvania
• Erwinna, Pennsylvania
• Eureka, Pennsylvania
• Finland, Pennsylvania
• Fleecydale, Pennsylvania
• Flushing, Pennsylvania
• Forest Grove, Pennsylvania
• Fountainville, Pennsylvania
• Fretz, Pennsylvania
• Fretz Valley, Pennsylvania
• Fricks, Pennsylvania
• Frog Hollow, Pennsylvania
• Frogtown, Pennsylvania
• Furlong, Pennsylvania

Geographic Features in Bucks County Pennsylvania

• Almshouse Hill
• Anchor Creek
• Aquetong Creek
• Aquetong Spring
• Beaver Creek
• Beaver Run
  Small stream in Richland Township, rising southwest of Quakertown. Flowing in a northeasterly direction, it forms a junction with Licking Run east of Quakertown. On a draft of the 503-acre tract of John Thompson, surveyed by Samuel Foulke, November 15, 1780, this stream is named Muddy Run. It is presumed to have taken its name Beaver from the prevalence of that animal along its bank 150 years ago.
• Bins Hill
  A hill near Springtown, close to the Northampton County line.
• Brandywine Creek
• Broad Axe Creek
• Brock Creek
  A stream in Lower Makefield Township, flowing into the Delaware River at Yardley.
• Buckingham Cave
• Buckingham Mountain
• Buckwampun Mountain
• Burn Bridle Hill and Burn Bridle Forest
• Butter Creek
• Cabin Run Creek
• Canada Hill
• Cauffman Hill
• Chestnut Hill
  Conspicuous hill in southeastern Durham Township, extending across the township boundary line into Nockamixon. It is 740 feet above tide level. Rising over 300 feet above the surrounding country, it commands a magnificent view from its summit. The hill was once covered by a luxuriant growth of chestnut timber, hence its name. It is about two miles in length by a mile and a quarter in breadth.
• Common Creek
• Cooks Creek
• Cooks Run
• Coppernose Hill
• Core Creek
• Cressman Hill
  In Springfield Township overlooking the Durham Creek.
• Curley Hill
• Curls Run
• Cuttalossa Creek
• Dark Hollow
• Dark Hollow Run
  Small stream wholly in Solebury Township, about a mile in length, flowing in a northeasterly direction and emptying into the Delaware Division Canal below New Hope. The main line of the Postal Telegraph Company runs through Dark Hollow. A branch line from Trenton, N. J., was connected there with the main line in the summer of 1888.
• Dark Hollow Run
  Small stream wholly in Tinicum Township, a mile and a quarter in length, flowing northwardly and emptying into Delaware River near Smithtown. The Smithtown Road, leading off River Road (Route 326) and passing through the Dark Hollow ravine, makes a picturesque drive. Thence Smithtown Road passes through Tinicum village and past Lower Tinicum Church, crosses Tohickon Creek at Myers grist mill and connects with Route 611 at Pipersville, six miles from the River Road.
• Deep Run
• Deer Park
• Deer Run
  Small creek, rising in the central part of Bedminster Township in two primary tributaries. It lies wholly within the township and flows through the second valley northwest of Deep Run, emptying into Tohickon Creek near the mouth of Wolf Run, occupying the intervening valley. Deer were very plentiful along its banks when the first white settlers came, hence its name.
• Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal
• Delaware River
• Delaware River Islands
• Dimple Creek
  This is a tributary of Tohickon Creek in Haycock Township, joining a little south of Applebachsville.
• Dry Branch
• Small stream rising in northeastern Richland Township. Flowing in a southerly direction through the eastern edge of the township, it empties into Tohickon Creek east of Quakertown. The stream is named on very early land drafts and its name is said to be due to the fact that its flow is not constant in dry seasons.
• Durham Cave
• Durham Hills and Durham Mines
• Edge Hill
• Flatiron Hill

Source: MacReynolds, George. Place Names in Bucks County Pennsylvania, 2nd Edition. Doylestown, PA: The Bucks County Historical Society, 1955.

1. This editor of Pennsylvania Genealogy was unable to find a manuscript so entitled, I believe they are referring to Two Hundred Years[↩]
2. The Doanes before the Revolution,” by Dr. H. C. Mercer. Papers read before The Bucks County Historical Society, Vol. I, p. 180.[↩]