Ivyland Maintains Rich History As Hidden Gem

IVYLAND BOROUGH, PA —State Rep. Brian Munroe said that every town wishes it could be Ivyland.

"They have a wonderful small town that we all want," said Munroe, who represents Ivyland and Warminster Township, which surrounds the tiny borough of 1,400 people. "We wanted a downtown in Warminster, but we have Ivyland. It has a small-town feel. People should cherish its history, because it is our history."

As Ivyland hits its 150th anniversary with a celebration on Saturday, anniversary committee chairman Geff Rapp shared the borough's history with Patch.

Tucked into the borders of Warminster and Northampton townships is Ivyland Borough, which hides in plain sight from commuters on heavily-traveled Jacksonville, Bristol, and Street roads.

"Even people who have lived in central Bucks County for years are surprised to find this quaint neighborhood of Victorian homes when they stray slightly off the beaten path," Rapp said.

He said that there is some confusion over the fact that there's Ivyland Borough and then a section called Ivyland that is a part of Northampton Township and in another school district.

"Even though they share a zip code, their origins are quite different," he said.

Ivyland Borough was founded 150 years ago in 1873 by Edwin Lacey, a Quaker, a farmer, an abolitionist, and an abstainer from alcoholic beverages who came from the family of a Revolutionary War general.

He was also a man who wanted to make money on the upcoming 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Rapp said.

"There would be thousands of visitors to that event and he foresaw and considered that a community featuring a big hotel situated in the country yet a short distance from outside the city would attract many travelers headed to the Exposition," Rapp said.

He said Lacey was further convinced to make the investment because of a proposed expansion of the North Penn Railroad, which would extend its tracks to Bristol Road, and eventually New Hope, giving visitors easy access to Philadelphia.

On June 24, 1873, Lacey purchased 40 acres to the west and north of Jacksonville Road and laid
out his planned community.

He chose the name Ivyland for his dream village after the beautiful glossy 3-leafed ivy which was abundant in the area. Rapp said it was actually poison ivy, but the name was kept and the first houses began construction.

In the center of town, Lacey built his hotel to be called the Temperance House, surrounded by a neat grid of streets named after notable public figures from the time, Rapp said.

He personally oversaw the planting of fast-growing silver maples throughout the streets to beautify Ivyland. Unfortunately, construction of his hotel was slow and further beset by the failure of noted area bank Jay Cooke & Company, which created a several-year depression, Rapp said.

As a result, the building came to a standstill and the hotel stood unfinished until after the 1876 Centennial Exposition and with it Lacey's dream of wealth went unfulfilled. After investing his own money in the project, Lacey eventually had to dispose of his holdings.

Yet, the expansion of the North Penn Railroad did indeed occur, and with it, the rest of Ivyland began to grow with Victorian-style homes, a store, a saw mill, a coal yard and feed business, a church, a school, an inn and even the beginnings of a fire company, Rapp said.

The foundation of the Ivyland took hold and continued to expand and grow into a thriving community. Eventually, even the Temperance House building was completed, but never served as a hotel.

Now 150 years later, having incorporated as a borough in 1905, Ivyland still stands much like it did back then. Scores of charming Victorian-style homes, some with Mansard roofs that Lacey required of the early buildings, the infamous “hotel,” the Hobensack mill building, the Presbyterian church, and the general store (which now operates as a deli called the Ivyland Country Store) give it a step-back-in-time feel that is so much part of its character.

Rapp said because of its architectural significance and preservation, Ivyland was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Much of this can be credited to the efforts of the Ivyland Heritage Association, a volunteer group of residents who for over 25 years have worked to preserve and celebrate the history and traditions of Ivyland.

Rapp said Mayor Anthony Judice, the president of the Ivyland Heritage Association, is personally responsible for leading much of the current work to capture the unique history of Ivyland, building on the efforts of similar-minded residents decades before him who feel a special bond with the community.

“We are proud of our rich Victorian history and strive to maintain our traditions," the mayor said. "Ivyland has that small-town feel and many of our residents join in the volunteer spirit to keep it alive and flourishing.”