Washingtonville Pa

History & Stories Of  Washingtonville Pa

Fort Bosley - Washingtonville's Fort

The Revolutionary War Era Log Cabin That Was Hiding In Plain Sight

When The Elk Lived In Washingtonville - Billmeyers

How A Hump In A Hook Made A Millionaire, and Left A Legacy In Washingtonville

Historic Buildings & Structures

The Heddings Hotel     The Eagle Hotel     Park Hotel

Keefers Mill Covered Bridge

Social Events & Activities

The Village Inn Diner

PPL & Montour Preserve

Montour Preserve

Egret At Montour Preserve

The Pin Truss Bridge From Washingtonville was moved to Knoebles about 1978

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-washingtonville-truss-bridge.html

Lime Kilns in Washingtonville

Maps

===================

Chapter XVII    DERRY TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF WASHINGTONVILLE

This is one of the oldest townships and settlements in the county. The earliest settler in what is now the territory of this township was a Mr. BRITTAIN. One of his sons is Nathaniel BRITTAIN, now aged eighty years, and is still living on the old family place. He has in his possession title papers and other evidences that establish the fact.

Among other very early settlers was Jacob SHULTZ, who settled in what is now Limestoneville in 1790; after staying there one year he removed to Derry Township and settled on the place now
occupied by his grandson,

 J. K. SHULTZ, where he died in 1804; he was buried in the Derry Church graveyard. In the year mentioned an epidemic of typhoid fever prevailed extensively and carried off a number of the people. 

Brady's Fort (generally printed in the State histories as "Boyle's Fort") was erected toward
the latter part of the Revolutionary war. It was named after the two brothers  Col. Sam. and Hugh Brady, who were prominent soldiers in the war for independence. Mathew CALVIN was an early settler in Washingtonville. The family and descendants are now gone. He built the old frame mill in the town. It was twice burned down and as often rebuilt and the last building is still standing.

Joseph HUTCHINSON settled near Washingtonville at an early day. William McCORMICK, father of Hon. James McCORMICK of Danville, and William SHAW and family were early settlers in Derry. Hon. James McCORMICK was born there in 1818. He married Margaret SHAW, daughter of the above named William SHAW.

John STEINMAN built a saw-mill in 1812, about half a mile above Mr. BILLMEYER's. A turning-lathe is now on the property occupied by the mill. John AUTEN built a saw-mill in 1812 and in 1814 he built a grist-mill and house. The grist-mill has long since been entirely gone--the saw-mill is still
on the same spot.

 One of the earliest settlers near Mr. BILLMEYER's was John WILSON. He was a prosperous farmer and died on the place where he had made his improvement. Stephen ELLIS and his wife Mary (CUNNINGHAM) ELLIS of Donegal, Ireland, were of the early settlers in this township. Their son Stephen was born in this county May 15, 1807.

Of the earliest ministers of the church was the famous pioneer preacher, Rev. J. B. PATTERSON of the Presbyterian Church. He was stationed at Washingtonville and had charge of the Derry Church and the Washingtonville  Church, the latter being both the first log schoolhouse and church combined in this part of the county. Mr. PATTERSON died in Washingtonville, and so deeply had he impressed the purity and excellence of his character upon the people, that his memory now is warmly cherished and is yet "a name to conjure by" among the descendants of his old-time parishioners. His descendants are a son and daughter now living in the township where he died. The present Presbyterian brick church in Washingtonville is a modern building erected about twenty years ago, and is the successor in regular line of the primitive little log church, as that first building had succeeded the inviting widespread branches of "God's first temples."

Washingtonville and Danville constitute the two boroughs of Montour County, and they also mark the two oldest settlements in it. It was only incorporated into a borough April 28, 1870, the first officers being H. C. SNYDER, burgess, and Joseph B. SEIDEL, Andrew C. ELLIS, James A. MILLER, councilmen. The present officers are Charles MOWREY, burgess; Charles SHIRES, clerk; John ANDY, A. C. COURSON and J. B. SEIDEL, councilmen; J. D. GEIGER, postmaster.

A settlement was made here just prior to the breaking out of the war for independence. The BOSLEY water grist and saw-mill had been built prior to 1788. It stood just opposite where the present mill stands. It was burned down in 1826. It was the circumstance of this mill and a few settlements about it, that created Brady's fort, or block-house with port holes and for a while a small howitzer cannon mounted on it, where the people fled at times from the threatened approach of roving savage bands. In the histories of the State this is spoken of as "Boyle's Fort." This is an evident mistake as it was built and named for the two Revolutionary heroes, Hugh and Sam. BRADY, brothers. In 1788, as mentioned elsewhere, great suffering threatened the people in the way of famine. Philip MAUS bought a quantity of grain at the time, of John Montgomery, of Paradise farm and delivered it at the mill. At this early day the place was called Washington. From old papers in the possession of Philip F. MAUS, we learn that in 1778 Samuel SMITH, Adam HELPLEMAN, and Robert ROGERS were some of the parties then living in the vicinity of the place, and that they got some of the wheat he had bought from Paradise farm. Samuel HUTCHINSON purchased the mill of BOSLEY. He was a leading man of the early times, and was principal owner of the village. He was succeeded in the mill by his son-in-law, Mathew CALVIN. He ran the mill successfully for a number of years, and at the same time owned and managed a large farm in the immediate vicinity. He was a strong, intelligent and well educated man; a free and independent thinker on all subjects, but more especially on religion. He donated, however, the ground for the frame Presbyterian Church built in 1832. 

His son Samuel taught school in Washingtonville at an early day; he removed to Huntington County, became a lawyer and was elected to Congress. Before going to Congress he had been elected and served as judge. 

Mathew CALVIN was the first postmaster in Washingtonville. Dr. NEWCOMBE was the first physician to locate in the village. Just before the Revolutionary war Mr. ALLEN had built and opened the first hotel in the place. Mr. ALLEN's successor in the hotel was Thomas BUSKIRK. The first blacksmith was Robert WALKER. He was a good workman. He invented and made the once celebrated Walker plow. He was full of industry and enterprise and built finally a factory and foundry. In his old age he removed to Lancaster where he died.


Three churches were built in Washingtonville--the Presbyterian, Lutheran and Methodist. For many years the people worshipped at the old Derry Church, four and a half miles northeast of Washingtonville, where the celebrated Rev. John B. PATTERSON ministered for a long time, the particulars of whom are fully given elsewhere. He went from Danville to Washingtonville in 1798, purchased and settled upon the old homestead farm about a mile east of the village where his son and daughter now reside. The early members of this the oldest church in this part of the county were James BIGGINS, Col. Robert CLARK, the eminent  Revolutionary soldier, William McCORMICK, James BARBER, Thomas BARBER, Andrew SHEEP, Samuel BRITTAIN, Joseph HENDERSON, James LOWRIEE, Joseph HENDERSHOT, Gersham BIDDLE, James POLLOCK, Thomas MOREHEAD, John CARR, John ALLEN, James C. SPROUL, Thomas ADAM, James McVICKAR, John RUSSELL, John CRAIG, William PEGG, Samuel HUTCHINSON, Charles McKEE, James SIMINGTON, Robert SHEARER, Thomas FOSTER, Thomas ROBINSON, John BLEE, and Mr. McHORD. These all worshipped at the old Derry Church until 1832, when a building was put up in Washingtonville.

The first store in the place was kept by Nathaniel SPENCE. His successor was William McCORMICK. The latter was one of the prominent men of his day, a native of Ireland.

There is some dispute now as to where the old fort or block-house stood. Some think it stood in the valley just across the creek from the borough, while others contend it stood just back of Front Street, between Church and Water Streets.

The first schoolhouse was built in the last century soon after the close of the war. It was a square pen of unhewn logs of uneven length, a log taken out of three sides for windows. It stood on the street opposite to where John HEDDEN  resides. 

Early in this century Washingtonville was quite an important place; it was on the mail stage route through the county. In 1838 it had as many as four hotels and four stores. The leading business men at that time were James and David McCORMICK, sons of William McCORMICK; Neal McCOY, son of Robert, and the firm of GRIM, DERR & DYE. Aaron MOSER now keeps the hotel that is among the old improvements of the place.

===================

1911 Covered Bridge Removed