Patterson Farm Nominated As National Historic Place

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — A township farm that is more than three centuries old has been nominated for listing
in the National Register of Historic Places.

Township officials announced the nomination of the 234-acre Thomas Janney Historic Agricultural District, locally known as Patterson Farm.

The district — located along Mirror Lake Road and Yardley–Langhorne Road — includes two long-standing farmsteads: the Janney Brown Yardley Farmstead and the Bayley
Satterthwaite Doan Farmstead.

The farmsteads are set within open agricultural fields, historic farm lanes, woodlots, and spring-fed streams and ponds.

Officials said the land has been continuously farmed since
the late 1600s and remains one of the most intact agricultural landscapes in Lower Bucks County.

The site was named after Tom and Alice Patterson, the last private owners before Lower Makefield Township acquired the property to preserve its
agricultural landscape and historic resources.

The district includes 14 historic buildings, along with several agricultural structures, sites, and objects dating from the late seventeenth century through the mid-20th century.

These resources illustrate the long evolution of farming in the region, including early settlement structures, traditional farmhouses, Pennsylvania bank barns, and agricultural buildings reflecting changes in farming practices over time.

About 183 acres of the property are permanently protected through an agricultural conservation easement, ensuring that the open farmland and rural setting will remain intact
for future generations.

Matthew Ross, chairman of the Lower Makefield Township Board of Supervisors, noted that the district represents a rare example of an agricultural landscape that has remained largely
unchanged despite decades of suburban development in the surrounding region.

“The Thomas Janney Historic Agricultural District represents more than three centuries of continuous farming,” Ross said. “The land has never been lost to development and still reflects agricultural patterns established by early Quaker settlers.”

Dennis Steadman, chairman of the Patterson Farm Master Plan Implementation Committee, said the nomination highlights the broader cultural value of the site.

“The historic buildings, open fields, streams, ponds, and wooded areas together preserve the look and feel of farm-rich Bucks County before the development of the past seventy-
five years,” Steadman said. “It offers a tangible connection to the region’s agricultural heritage and rural landscape.”

Joe Camaratta, vice chairman of the Lower Makefield Township Historical Commission, explained that listing in the National Register formally recognizes the district’s historic
importance and may help the Township pursue preservation grants and other funding opportunities for the restoration and long-term stewardship of the historic structures.

Township officials emphasized that the nomination reflects Lower Makefield’s long-standing commitment to farmland preservation, historic stewardship, and protecting the rural character that has defined the community for generations.

Following review by the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, the nomination will be forwarded to the National Park Service for final consideration.

If approved, the Thomas Janney Historic Agricultural District will join other nationally recognized historic resources in Bucks County.