Durham Village

Durham, located in the northeast corner of Bucks County, was the first area in what is now Upper Bucks to be inhabited by European settlers.

In the latter part of the 17th century, the Free Society of Traders were granted several tracts of land in Bucks County, including the township of Durham.  The land was sold to a stock company, the Durham Iron Works,  and in 1727 a charcoal fueled iron furnace was put into operation.  The furnace produced items like the "Adam and Eve", "Cain and Abel" stoves, firebacks, canons and shot for rebel forces during the War for Independence.

Next to Cooks creek, in the now quiet Durham valley, the furnace operated until 1789.  It was sold in 1819 and a grist mill was built on the foundation of the old furnace.  The overshot wheel-powered mill operated until 1969.  It is now a preserved historic building and houses the Durham Township Historic Society, the village Post Office and still contains the original gristmill machinery.

Two new furnaces, powered by anthracite coal delivered by canal boats, were constructed downstream, near where the creek meets the Delaware River in 1848 and 1849.  This left the original site to become the village center for the surrounding farm community.   Unlike many early "industrial " sites, the village today is a treasure of modest, immaculately maintained historic buildings, surrounded by reclaimed forest and farmland.

The process of producing iron not only leaves behind old buildings.  Old lime kilns and abandoned iron ore mines were also left in and near the village.  One mine has become a major refuge for 8000 to 10,000 bats of several species.  The Heritage Conservancy has recently been working to protect and preserve this critical bat hibernaculum.  Unfortunately, White Nose Syndrome, an infectious disease that affects several species of bats, has made it's way to Durham.

Durham is also home to an amazing photographer, Kathleen Connally.  Her award winning photoblog, A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania, has an incredible collection of images from this beautiful area of Upper Bucks County.