Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1881-09-03
First Settlement of Newtown.

First settlement OF NewtOWn.
One hundred and ffty-nine years
ago, in the year 1882, sixteen families
came to the valley of the Shenandoah,
cutting their road from York, Penn,
having obtained from the king of
England grants for a large body of
land. The names of these settlers so
far as known were, Joist Hite, (who
seemed to have been the leader his
three sons-in. law, Jacob Crisman,
George Pownan and Paul Froman
Peter Stephens, Robert Mckay, Robt.
Green and William Duff. They cross
ed the Potomac river about two miles
above Harper's Ferry, and lsade their
way up the Valley. Joist Hite set
tied on the Opequon, one and a hall
miles north of Newtown, at what is
now known as Bartonsville. A small
stone house built by him, was to be
seen here up to the time Of the
late war, when it was destroyed
1t stood on the west side of the turn
pike, few yards north of the black
smith shop. 1t is not known in what
year it was built.
Peter Stephens, and several other
heads of families, whose names are un-
known, made themselves homes near
the run at the south end of Newtown,
(Stephens RUM. Fifty years ago the
ruins of Stephens first house were yet
to be seen, but all traces of these
houses are now obliterated.
From all reliable accounts these
sixteen men with their families were
the first settlers in the Valley, though
they were rapidly followed by many
others. When, and by whom Win
chester was first settled is not known.
The earliest account we have states,
THAT there were two cabins erected
near the run in Winchester, about the
year 1888" Thus, you see, our little
village is its senior by some four or
FIVE years.
Twenty-six years after Stephens
settled here, Lewis Stephens, his son,
laid off the town, called it Stephens
burg, and applied to the assembly to
have it established by law, which was
done in the month of September, 1858.
In 1885 the first brick house erected
west of the Blue Ridge was built by
John Hite, at the north end of New
town. 1t is a small one story build
ing, and is now the property of DR..
VIM. A. Davis, who purchased from
the Neills, quaker family well re-
membered by the older residents
They probably bought Of Hite, I dc
not know. The Hites were among
the earliest settlers of Frederick
county, but at what time they came
to Newtown, I have no means of as
pertaining.
The stone house at Bartonsville now
owned by R. F. Harrison, was built in
the year 1853 by Col. John Hite, and
at the time of its erection was consid-
cred by far the finest residence in the
Valley There is a tradition that Col
Hite quaried all the stone in this
building with his own hands.
This property was for many years
owned by the Bartons, from whom
the hamlet takes its name.
In the foregoing I have endeavored
to gather together all the reliable in
formation, in regard to the earliest
days of the village, that had access
to, in the hope that some one more
capable than I would continue the
subject. Will not some of our aged
citizens give us their recollections o.
Newtown and its inhabitants, as hand
ed down to them by their parents and
others? Ifyou cannot write get some
young friend to act as your amanu-
encis, and give us your traditions be-
fore you pass from our midst.
OLD TIMES.