Old York Road facts for kids

The Old York Road is a famous old road built in the 1700s. It was created to connect two very important cities: Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and New York City. In New Jersey, the road followed an ancient path called the "Naraticong Trail." This trail was used by the Raritan people, a Native American tribe.

There's a special plaque in Raritan, NJ that remembers the friendship with the Naraticong Indians. They allowed the road to be built over their trail. Back in the day, a stagecoach line called the Swift Sure could travel between Philadelphia and New York City in just two days. It cost only a few dollars!

Travelers could also take a ferry from Elizabethtown Point to New York City. Or, they could continue their journey to Newark and then to the Powles Hook Ferry. Today, this ferry spot is known as Exchange Place in Jersey City.

The Old York Road in Pennsylvania

A sign for Old York Road in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania.

The Old York Road was first planned and built in Pennsylvania between 1711 and 1771. It started (or ended) in Philadelphia at the corner of Fourth and Vine Streets.

Over time, parts of the road changed. In the 1960s, a big city project removed much of the Old York Road in downtown Philadelphia. However, a small part of it still exists as an unmarked alley. North of Spring Garden Street, the original road followed what is now Fifth Street.

Today, a section still called Old York Road begins in North Philadelphia. It then joins up with PA 611 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood.

The Old York Road separates from PA 611 in Willow Grove. Here, it joins PA 263, which is still called York Road. As you go further north, some older parts of the road still exist. These sections are often named "Old York Road." You can find these older parts in places like Hartsville and Bridge Valley.

Historic Bridges and Ferries

In Bridge Valley, there's an old stone bridge built in 1804. It has eight arches and crosses the Neshaminy Creek. This bridge was once part of the main Old York Road. It was open only for people walking or riding bikes for many years.

In Lahaska, Old York Road follows US 202 as Lower York Road. Then, it follows PA 179 into New Hope, where it's called Bridge Street. This road leads to the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, which crosses into New Jersey. The first bridge here was built in 1814. The current bridge was built in 1904. It follows the closest path to the original Old York Road.

Ferry Street in New Hope leads to where the first ferry dock was located. In 1719, a man named John Wells got permission to start a ferry service here. The small village became known as Well's Ferry. Later, other people owned the ferry service. The village was eventually renamed New Hope after a fire in 1790.

The Old York Road in New Jersey

The Old York Road in New Jersey started at Coryell's Ferry in Lambertville. Emanuel Coryell started a ferry service here in 1732. The village on the New Jersey side became known as Coryell's Ferry. The original road followed Main Street to York Street. It then briefly joined NJ 179, which is the modern Old York Road.

The road continues on NJ 179, with a few small changes in its path. NJ 179 ends in Ringoes. From there, Old York Road continues on CR 514. In Reaville, Old York Road leaves CR 514 and joins CR 613.

Old York Road crosses US 202 in Branchburg. A town called Centerville was named because it was halfway between Philadelphia and New York. This made it a perfect resting spot for stagecoaches.

The road then follows CR 637 and CR 567 until it reaches Raritan.

In Raritan, it follows Somerset Street and joins NJ 28 in Somerville. Old York Road continues as East Main Street. It then goes through Bound Brook and Middlesex.

The road then turned north on New Market Road. It roughly followed Front Street to The Plains and Scotch Plains. From there, it went to West Fields and Cranes Ford. In Cranford, it passed by Droeschers Mill. Many parts of the road from Cranford to Elizabethtown have been removed. However, some sections still exist as Colonia Road and Jersey Avenue.

A ferry service started in 1736 from Elizabethtown Point to Staten Island. This ferry was important for connecting travelers to New York City.

Travel in the Past

The Swift Sure Stagecoach Line

The Swift Sure Stagecoach Line was a famous way to travel on the Old York Road. In 1769, advertisements for the stagecoach appeared in newspapers. They said the stagecoach would leave the Barley Sheaf Tavern in Philadelphia at 8 AM. It would arrive at Well's Ferry (New Hope) twelve hours later.

Around 1827, the stagecoach ran three times a week between Philadelphia and New York. The Swift Sure line kept running until railroads became popular. Trains were faster and more efficient, so stagecoach travel eventually stopped.

Cool Landmarks Along the Way

Many historic places can be found along the Old York Road. These landmarks tell stories about the past.

Pennsylvania Landmarks

• The Old York Road passed close to the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. Betsy Ross is famous for supposedly sewing the first American flag.
• The Rising Sun Tavern was a well-known stop for travelers. It stood at a crossroads from the mid-1700s to the late 1800s. An old milestone in Abington Township still points the way. It says "9 to R S, 11 to P," meaning 9 miles to Rising Sun (the tavern) and 11 miles to Philadelphia.
• The site of the Battle of Crooked Billet is just off Old York Road. This was an important battle during the American Revolutionary War.
• The site of The Log College in Warminster, Pennsylvania. This was an early college for training Presbyterian ministers, founded in 1746.
• Moland House in Hartsville, Pennsylvania. This house was General George Washington's headquarters in August 1777 during the Revolutionary War.
• Buckingham Friends Meeting House in Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania. This building was used as a military hospital during the Revolutionary War.
• The old ferry toll house in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

New Jersey Landmarks

• The Holcombe storehouse in Mount Airy, New Jersey, built around 1743. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Ringo's Tavern in Ringoes, New Jersey, built around 1840.
• The Andrew Ten Eyck House in Branchburg, New Jersey.
• The Wallace House in Somerville, New Jersey. This was General George Washington's headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–79) of the American Revolutionary War.
• The Old Dutch Parsonage in Somerville, New Jersey.
• The Somerset Hotel, also known as Tunison's Tavern, in Somerville, New Jersey.
• The Van Veghten House in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. This was General Nathanael Greene's headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment.
• The Van Horne House in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. This was General William Alexander, Lord Stirling's headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment.
• The Middlebrook Hotel, an old tavern from the 1700s in Middlebrook, New Jersey.
• The Drake House in Plainfield, New Jersey.
• The Stage House Inn, also known as the Scotch Plains Tavern, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, built around 1737.
• The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, New Jersey. The original church on this site was built in 1735.
• Droeschers Mill in Cranford, NJ.
• Old First Presbyterian Church, founded in 1664, in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
• Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
• Elizabethtown Port. This is where Captain Philip De Carteret landed in 1665. He was the first Royal Governor of the Colony of New Jersey.