Last updated: 7/4/2011
1641 Old York Rd.
Hartsville, PA 18929
P.O. Box 107
Jamison, PA 18929
Special event on July 4, 2011. An original copy of the Declaration of Independence will be on display from one to four. Free event, although donations are welcome for tours of the historic home. Historical Documents Expert Tom Lingenfelter will be on hand to discuss and answer questions.
Many Philadelphians sought to emulate the English country estate tradition by constructing brick and stone formal houses in the countryside. Attorney John Moland had one such house on a plantation in the Northern Liberties, just above the current center city. In 1741 he purchased undeveloped land in Warwick Township along the Little Neshaminy Creek and adjacent to the York Road connecting bustling Philadelphia with the smaller New York City. A two-story home was built circa 1750 using fieldstone quarried from further up Kerr's, also known as Carr's, Hill. A vernacular kitchen with a loft was attached to these formal quarters.
The 325-acre (in the 18th century) Moland farm is nestled against the steep, southern slope of Kerr’s Hill sheltered from the wintry blasts of northeast storms, yet in the path of cooling western breezes in the summer. Below the house lies the fertile river bottom land of the lower branch of the Neshaminy Creek which powered four local flour mills. The house stands next to Old York Road, a major colonial road connecting Philadelphia with Elizabeth, NJ, and New York City. The Bucks county-seat and courthouse, since 1725, is a reasonable ten-mile horseback ride to the east in Newtown; convenient for a lawyer. Newtown and Bristol with a combined population of one thousand are the only towns in the county. A quarter-mile south of the stone bridge, built in 1755 over the Neshaminy Creek, and up a gentle rise is the Cross Roads with Bristol Road. This 1737 road links to the Second Street Pike which leads to the marketplace in Philadelphia open on Wednesdays and Saturdays; a 20 to 24 mile journey depending on your choice of routes. John Moland had made an excellent choice on the location for his country farm estate purchased in 1741.
The Moland House is the site of an ongoing archelogical dig.
The Moland House library reflects the Colonial time period, with an emphasis on Washington and Lafayette.
The Moland House is currently open the second Sunday of every month from 1-4. School groups visit usually in the spring, but are welcome at any time. Spring teas and special events are presented on our website, www.moland.org.
Lecture Halls
Performance Areas
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: Yes
The Warwick Township Historical Society, which is responsible for the Moland House, issues a quarterly newsletter.
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