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| One of the most important extant buildings in Newtown Township, due to its association with the internationally famous artist, Benjamin West, is the building known as the Square Tavern. The artist’s father, John West, was host and lived there with his family intermittently between 1744 (when Benjamin was 6 years old) and 1758. |
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| Bartram's Bridge |
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| Drexel Lodge Park |
Newtown Township dates to 1681, when William Penn planned two inland “new towns”
(the second one is Newtown, Bucks County). The township was laid out with a straight main road, Newtown Street Road, running south to north and bisecting the Township. An east to west road – Goshen Road – also bisected the Township – and intersected with Newtown Street Road.
The original settlers were largely Welsh Quakers, and their livelihood was farming. With the construction of the West Chester turnpike in the 19th century, the nexus of the town moved up to the intersection of West Chester Pike and Newtown Street Road. A hotel and general store anchored that corner for more than 150 years; and later a town hall was built as well.
Since World War II and the widening of West Chester Pike, the area has become less rural, but Newtown still has more than 100 historic houses, barns, churches, cemeteries and other noteworthy structures that are witnesses to its long history.
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The Paper Mill House and Museum is an historic three story stone building along Darby Creek in Newtown Township, Delaware County, that has an 1850’s era general store, and three levels of a local history museum containing artifacts representing the history of Newtown Township.
The Paper Mill House serves as a museum for local history, and a meeting place for local neighborhood groups. Each year, the six elementary schools in the local school district send their 5th graders to the Paper Mill House for a half day of instruction on local history and mills. The program, operated by the Historical Society, also brings together the home schooled children in the community who act as guides in period dress, perform skits, and bring to life the history lessons taught that day. |
