Walking Tours

Calendar of Events

Newtown Heritage Walk

Durham Toll House
Durham Pike Toll House marker

The Newtown Heritage Walk is a self-guided walking tour consisting of thirty-four 18” x 24” wayside markers at historically significant sites along State Street (Newtown Borough) and Sycamore Street (Newtown Township). Each stop has been selected because of its historical value to the Newtown community, featuring sites from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The Heritage Walk is modeled after similar wayside programs in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Carlisle, the Delaware Canal, and other historic locations in Pennsylvania.

Marker Sites and Sponsors

Route Map (click to enlarge)
  1. Half Moon Inn101 Court Street (Newtown Historic Association)
  2. Newtown Library Company114 East Centre Avenue (Newtown Library Company)
  3. Edward Hicks House122 Penn Street (Newtown Friends Meeting)
  4. White Hall Hotel127 South State Street (Capital Franchise Group and the Casey Family)
  5. Friends Meeting219 Court Street (Newtown Friends Meeting)
  6. Stocking Works301 South State Street (Newtown Historic Association)
  7. Newtown Cannery & China Factory451 South State Street (M&T Bank)
  8. Olde Church of Saint Andrew138 South Sycamore Street (Callanan Stained Glass Studio)
  9. Twining FarmSouth Sycamore Street & Cambridge Lane (The Corners at Newtown Place – Managed by The Quaker Group)
  10. McMasters House13 West Centre Avenue (Paul Allen & Jack Lacey)
  11. Washington’s Headquarters2 South Sycamore Street (LukOil)
  12. Buckman Farm2 Swamp Road (Cotswold Group)
  13. Old Presbyterian Church76 North Sycamore Street (Historic Church Committee)
  14. William Penn’s New TownNorth Sycamore Street – Near Jefferson Avenue (Newtown Rotary Club)
  15. Saloon203 North Sycamore Street (Saloon)
  16. Brooks House221 North Sycamore Street (Carriage House Collection / Robert & Sandra Thomas)
  17. Boyd-Yardley House223 North Sycamore Street (Tyrol Insurance)
  18. Goodnoe Farm & Dairy Bar2865 South Eagle Road (Goodnoe Family)
  19. a. Durham Road Toll House298 North Sycamore Street (J.W. McGrath Organization)
  20. b. Durham Road Toll House2987 South Eagle Road (Joint Historic Commission)
  21. Macedonia Baptist Church218 North State Street (Macedonia Baptist Church)
  22. North State Street156 North State Street (Randall Carriage Realty Group)
  23. Newtown Theatre120 North State Street (Knights of Pythias & Mr. & Mrs. James M. Baniewicz & Family)
  24. Newtown Common & Creek30 North State Street (Newtown Creek Coalition)
  25. Newtown Borough Hall23 North State Street (Newtown Borough)
  26. St. Mark AME Zion Church136 North Congress Street (Friends of St. Mark)
  27. Wesley Hall35 Liberty Street (Newtown United Methodist Church Memorial Fund)
  28. Newtown Fire Association14 Liberty Street (Newtown Fire Association)
  29. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church100 East Washington Avenue (Mary Benedict Callahan & Mary Roberts Hunter)
  30. Brick Hotel – 1 East Washington Avenue (Brick Hotel)
  31. Paxson-Croasdale Building & Newtown Trolley2-4 South State Street (Stuckert & Yates)
  32. Temperance House5-11 South State Street (Temperance House)
  33. Newtown – The County Seat35 South State Street (Newtown Business & Professional Association)
  34. First National Bank40 South State Street (First National Bank)
  35. Bird-in-Hand111 South State Street (Newtown Reliance Company and Jonathan & Elizabeth Hunt)

HistoryDetectiveBadge

Newtown History Detective

Visit all 34 locations on the Newtown Heritage Walk and try to answer the Newtown History Detective Questions. Turn in your completed Newtown History Detective form at the Half-Moon Inn and you will receive an official Newtown History Detective Badge.

About The Project

The Newtown Historic Association coordinated all aspects of the project, including: selecting the sites, developing the signs and brochures, obtaining the necessary HARB, Borough and Township approvals, confirming site sponsors, coordinating the installation with the property owners and the official launch of the Heritage Walk program.

All site selections were made by a committee consisting of representatives from the Newtown Historic Association, the Borough of Newtown and Newtown Township. The general site selection criteria were:

  1. Historical Significance – Sites must be considered historic, preferably have been built in either the 1700s or early 1800s, and have contributed to the historical character and/or cultural development of the Newtown community (Borough & Township).
  2. Location – Sites must be located on either State Street (Borough) or Sycamore Street (Township), or within a one- or two-block radius, to maintain the contiguous flow of an historic walking tour of the downtown Newtown community.
  3. Architectural Merit – Sites must exemplify, embody or exhibit the unique architectural, construction and design features that have come to define the Newtown (Bucks County) community.
  4. Sponsorship – Sites must be funded by a sponsor(s) to help cover the fixed costs of the site marker, brochure and marker installation. Newtown Township installed the signs along Sycamore Street.
  5. Total Number – Every effort has been made to be judicious and equitable during the site selection process, so as to place a practical and reasonable limit on the total number of signs and not to overly “clutter” the streets of Newtown.

heritagewalksigndiagram

Sample diagram of a site marker.

ADA Compliance – The law does not consider interpretive signage to be essential; therefore, ADA regulations do not apply. However, the National Park Service recognizes 30″ to 34″ above standing grade to be wheelchair friendly for low profile interpretive exhibits. Therefore, the Heritage Walk wayside signs have been installed at a height of approximately 34″ above grade to be both compliant with NPS standards, suitable for handicapped and young walking tour attendants, and as elevated as possible for the unimpaired. The wayside sign panels are mounted at a 30-degree angle for ease of viewing at all heights.

The design and layout of the individual wayside sign panels was donated by Mike DiFiori, DiFiori Design Group (fomerly Buzz Graphic Design). For more information on this project, please contact Brian Rounsavill.

Upcoming Events

Historic Graveyard Tour

March 24, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Join us for a fascinating presentation of the history and restoration of the Old Presbyterian Church Graveyard and the Slack Cemetery, followed by a guided tour of the restored headstones and footstones.

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Annual Meeting

April 15, 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Please join us for the Annual Business Meeting of the Newtown Historic Association followed by a wonderful presentation of collectibles and relics from our “Treasures from the Attic”

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Annual Spring Clean-Up

April 27, 8:30am - 11:00am

Every year, in the Spring, we take a day to clean the Half Moon Inn, and it’s a time to put the Inn back to “right” while seeing neighbors and making new friends

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EVENT LISTING

Featured

The Edward Hicks Room

The Newtown Historic Association invites you back in time to experience the life of Newtown's most famous artist, Edward Hicks. The Edward Hicks Room displays many of the treasures owned by Hicks during his lifetime. These items include a double-faced swinging sign portraying William Penn's Treaty with the Indians and Penn's Landing at Chester in 1844...learn more

SIGN UP

We invite you to sign up to stay informed of upcoming events, educational programs and community activities. Most are held in our historic Half Moon Inn, a tavern in the early days of Newtown, and are open to the public.

Join the celebration of our past and help ensure the preservation of our future.