The Elephant, Pennsylvania

How did The Elephant, Pennsylvania get it’s name? This page provides a brief history about the naming of The Elephant, Pennsylvania, the people who settled it, and the industry rising within it.

A hamlet and old hotel in northwestern Bedminster Township on Ridge Road (Route 386). The name is from the hotel sign, the original of which was secured by Dr. Henry C. Mercer for the Museum of The Bucks County Historical Society. The Doctor replaced this sign with a new one, which still swings from its post near the hotel entrance. The original sign was oval, largest measurements 40 by 31 inches, rimmed with an iron band and moulding. On the board, above and below the figure of a white elephant, are the words “Elephant Hotel” and date, 1848. This date may be the year in which the sign was repainted and not the year when the sign was made, as it appears to be much older. For a few years a post office there was named Ridge, but now mail is supplied by Perkasie rural delivery.

Source

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

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