Delaware Canal Towpath, Downtown Highlight Yardley Tours

YARDLEY, PA —Walking tours of downtown Yardley and the Delaware Canal towpath and neighboring South Canal Street are planned this month by the Yardley Historical Association.

The first tour takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, starting at the Old Library by Lake Afton, 46 W. Afton Ave.

Historian Charlie Thomforde will lead a leisurely one-hour walk through the center of Yardley, showing how the borough has changed during the last five centuries.

The town of today retains much of its original character and illustrates how it has changed from a
single grist mill on Brock Creek to a thriving, diverse community, Association President Susan Taylor said.

The Yardleyville Bridge, the Delaware Canal, the railroad, runaway streetcars, two competing fire
companies, and life in small-town America will all be part of the story.

The tour will end at the Old Library by Lake Afton where old photos of town will be on display.

Meanwhile, a second tour is planned that takes in both the Delaware Canal towpath and neighboring South Canal Street.

That tour, sponsored by the Yardley Historical Association, will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19. The tour will begin at the Old Library by Lake Afton, 46 W. Afton Ave.

This 2-mile roundtrip stroll will cover a bit of downtown Yardley, then head south on the towpath to Lock 5, where canal and railroad history meet. From the Lock, walkers will explore South Canal Street, a bustling area when the Delaware Canal was in commercial operation. There was an expansive boatyard, and the houses on the east side were built later for railroad workers.

A special stop will be the historic AME Church, now known as the Gather Place.

Conservator Shirley Lee Corsey will tell how, in just one year, the once dilapidated building has been transformed into a museum and performance place with bigger plans to come.

The opportunity to see the church interior and exhibits about Yardley’s Black community are also a highlight. The return trip to the Old Library will be via either the towpath or South Main Street.

Taylor, the former Executive Director of the Friends of the Delaware Canal, will lead the walk pointing out sites and sharing stories along the way.

A $10 per person donation is requested for each tour. Reservations are required.

For more information about the tour or other activities of the Yardley Historical Association, call 215-208-1154, e-mail info@yardleyhistory.org, or visit www.yardleyhistory.org.

The Yardley Historical Association preserves, maintains, and shares the Old Library by Lake Afton and its collections of books, documents, and ephemera related to Yardley’s history. The community is welcome to come to explore, discover, and have fun.

(Photo Courtesy of the Yardley Historical Association)