Chalfont

Coordinates: 40°17'23"N 75°12'37"W

**Chalfont** is a borough in Bucks County, located withing the bounds of New Britain Township. New Britain bounds Chalfont to the northeast. Chalfont was named after the village Chalfont St. Giles in England about twenty mile northwest of London, where William Penn met his future wife Gulielma Springett.

The North Branch Neshaminy Creek, the West Branch Neshaminy Creek and Pine Run converge in Chalfont.

## History

Simon Butler and Simon Mathew immigrated from Wales in 1710 and settled in the Welsh Tract of Delaware County, later coming to New Britain Township in 1720, purchasing 454 acres (184 hectares) including Chalfont and the area south of it to the Warminster Township line. Through this property he opened a road running south, calling it the Philadelphia Road. Later, it was known variously as Butler Road, then Limekiln Pike.

Butler's brother-in-law Simon Mathew purchased 283 acres (115 hectares), consisting of two tracts, one (127 acres, 51 hectares) adjoining Butler's land. Butler and Mathew together built the first gristmill in that portion of the county about 1720. It burned in 1725. Butler rebuilt the mill farther down at the confluence of North Branch Neshaminy Creek and Pine Run. After the new mill was purchased by George Eckhart, it also burned in 1835, Eckhart rebuilt a larger mill. Eckhart's son Martin inherited the mill while his other son Charles inherited his farm. On part of the farm was a woods of oak trees known as Eckharts Grove. The grove was frequently used to host dance parties, family gatherings, religious group meetings, and Sunday School picnics.

Later in 1885 the mill was owned by Philip B. Grove and was leased to Valentine B. Clymer and Matthew S. Cogan when it again burned. It was never rebuilt.

On 20 June 1778, detachments of George Washington's army passed through the West Branch Neshaminy Creek|West]] and North Branches of the Neshaminy Creek as they travelled from their camp at Valley Forge to Monmouth.

Another gristmill was built in 1793 not far from Butler's Mill first operated by men named Evans and Miller, later by Francis D. Hartzel, two of his sons succeeded him. After a fire in 1878, the mill was rebuilt and milling machinery was replaced.

Sometime after the passing of Simon Butler, the village came to be known as Kungles Tavern after the village landlord George Kungle. Kungle's father-in-law Henry Lewis built the stone colonial hotel, but Kungle owned and operated it during the Revolutionary period. The owner of the tavern after Kungle were consecutively James Morris, Lewis Morris, Abner Morris, then John Barndt from Tylersport. The village was then known as Barndtsville until 1845.

William Stevens had a store on the south bank of the West Branch Neshaminy Creek and opened a post office in 1845, which resulted in Chalfont's name being changed from Barndtsville to Whitehallville.

In 1869 the North Pennsylvania Railroad Company changed the name of the station from Whitehallville to Chalfont.

Sometime before 1885, the farm inherited by Charles Eckhart was purchased by Isaac Funk. On 27 June 1885, Funk opened an amusement resort in Eckhart's Grove named Forest Park. At the opening of the park, guest speakers were J. Freeman Hendricks and John D. James, attorneys from Doylestown. Music was provided by the Chalfont Cornet Band.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 MacReynolds, George, *Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania*, Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA 1942, Chalfont.