CENTRAL BUCKS BARN TOUR
The Heritage Conservancy's Barn Voyage! Self-guided Driving Tour takes you past more than 15 historic barns nestled in the scenic countryside. The Tour begins at the Thompson-Neely Barn in Washington Crossing, PA and makes a large circle through Central Bucks County.
Note: We recommend putting on your car's hazard signals while taking the tour to ensure the safety of yourself and fellow drivers.
Start: Thompson-Neely Barn
1632 River Road
Washington Crossing, PA 18977
Built in the early 1700s, this barn presents a unique look into colonial architecture as it was built two stories tall on the rear side but only one story tall on the barnyard side.
• Go west on Aquetong Road towards Squire Lane
• Slight left onto Covered Bridge Road
• Go 0.7 miles to
Van Sant Covered Bridge
266 Covered Bridge Road
New Hope, PA 18938
Built in 1875, this bridge is 86 feet long and was one of two built across Pidcock Creek.
• Go south on Covered Bridge Road toward Pidcock Creek Road
• Covered Bridge Road becomes Van Sant Road
• Turn right onto Lurgan Road, go 0.6 miles to
250 Lurgan Road
New Hope, PA 18938
Though its original date of construction is unknown, family accounts say that this barn's roof was converted to a gambrel roof in 1917, two additional wings were added in the 1950s and a concrete silo was built on in 1955.
• Go southwest on Lurgan Road toward Street Road
• Turn left onto Street Road, go 0.8 miles
• Turn right onto Thompson Mill Road, go 1.1 miles
• Turn right onto Pineville Road, go 0.1 miles to
390 Pineville Road
Newtown, PA 18940
Built in the early 19th-century style, this traditional bank barn is made of stone with several frame additions which give it a saltbox appearance. A smaller hay barn is attached to one end.
• Go west on Pineville Road for 0.03 miles to
359 Pineville Road
Newtown, PA 18940
This stone bank barn was built in two sections; the first was completed in 1807 and is a three-level structure with red sandstone quoins on all four corners. The larger section was added in 1835 and gives the barn an uneven appearance in the gable roof.
• Go west on Pineville Road toward Buckmanville Road
• Pineville Road becomes Pine Lane
• Turn left onto Durham Road/PA-413, go 0.04 miles to
1085 Durham Road
Newtown, PA 18940
This simple structure is a frame ground barn with small shed additions. Following a fire in 1914 which destroyed the original barn as well as much of the additional buildings on the property, owner George L. Eastburn contracted out the construction of the barn that still stands today.
• Go southwest on Durham Road/PA-413 toward Pine Lane
• Slight right onto Township Line Road
• Township Line Road becomes Pineville Road
• Slight right onto Ridge Road, go 1.6 miles to
5801 Ridge Road
New Hope, PA 18938
This particular barn is very dramatic, with its yellow and green walls and accompanying red roof. Known as the Standard Pennsylvania barn style, this kind of architecture came to be in the mid-19th century.
• Go northeast on Ridge Road toward Street Road
• Take first left onto Street Road, go 1 mile to
1418 Street Road
New Hope, PA 18938
Both sides of this road are home to historic barns. The Fredericks Barn on the left side is a typical 19th century bank barn that is still actively used today for agricultural purposes. The barn on the opposite side is a residential conversion of an English Barn.
• Go down the road less than .01 miles and across the street to
1301 Street Road
New Hope, PA 18938
In 1904, the barn on this property that can be seen today was built to replace a previous one, built in the old style which had burned down the year before.
• Go northwest on Street Road toward Stoney Hill Road
• At traffic light, turn left onto Lower York Road/US-202 South, go one mile
• Turn right onto Ash Mill Road
• After .5 miles,you will get to a fork in the road where Ash Road and Ash Mill Road meet. On the left, you will see
5441 Ash Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
Though the exact date of construction is unknown, it is estimated that this barn was built in the early-19th century.
• Go east on Ash Road toward Ash Mill Road
• Take first left onto Ash Mill Road, go 0.07 miles to
2855 Ash Mill Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
Constructed in a style generally used in the last quarter of the 18th century, this barn is unique as it has been converted into a private residence.
• Go northwest on Ash Mill Road toward Helms Lane for 0.8 miles to
3171 Ash Mill Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
Though this barn appears to have been built in the early-19th century, it features many additions which came later.
• Go northwest on Ash Mill Road toward Mechanicsville Road
• Take second left onto Street Road, go 0.4 miles to
3447-3451 Street Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
A large stone barn constructed in 1796 is the largest building on this property with several stone and frame additions. Between this barn and the old house on the property sits a one-story stone building that was most likely a smith shop. A springhouse can also be seen on the far north side of the property and documentation suggests that this particular structure was once part of an even earlier farmstead.
• Go northwest on Street Road toward Saw Mill Road
• Take first right onto Sawmill Road, go 0.5 miles to
6066 Sawmill Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
While cruising past, you may notice that this 19th century barn is currently separated from the farmhouse by a road. This is common among many Bucks County farms because, as many people believe, early roads were extensions of farm lanes.
• Go northeast on Saw Mill Road toward Aquetong Road, go 0.5 miles to
3465 Aquetong Road
Doylestown, PA 18902
This English-style barn rests all on one level, separating it from the more traditional Pennsylvania German barn typical in the area and dates back to the end of the 18th century.
• Go southeast on Aquetong Road toward Mechanicsville Road
• Take first left onto Mechanicsville Road, go 0.7 miles to
6401 Mechanicsville Road
New Hope, PA 18938
This property houses a collection of three unique barns built in the early 19th-century style. In accordance with a stone carving, the main barn dates back to 1811 when it was built by the Balderston family.
• Go northeast on Mechanicsville Road toward Creamery Road
• Mechanicsville Road becomes N Sugan Road, go 0.2 miles to
3361 North Sugan Road
New Hope, PA 18938
A classic example of a single-story English barn, this structure has three bays with a set of doors accessing a horse stable and dates back to 1786.
• Go east on North Sugan Road toward Paxson Road
• Take first right onto Upper York Road/PA-263
• Sharp left onto Creamery Road, go 0.3 miles to
Bucks County Audubon Society at Honey Hollow Visitor Center
2877 Creamery Road
New Hope, 18938
Originally designed by renowned architect R. Brognard Okie, known for his restoration of the Betsy Ross House and Pennsbury Manor, this barn was built in 1934. It was acquired by the Bucks County Audubon Society in 1994 who began the restoration process.
• Go southeast on Creamery Road toward Meetinghouse Road
• Turn right onto Meetinghouse Road
• Turn left onto Aquetong Road, go 0.6 miles to
2725 Aquetong Road
New Hope, PA 18938
Previously an encampment site for General Charles Lee's army during the Revolutionary War, the original barn dates back to 1748 making it one of the oldest barns in the county.
• Go west on Lower York Road/US-202 South for 0.3 miles to
New Hope Winery
6123 Lower York Road
New Hope, PA 18938
Built in the mid-19th century, this barn is unique due to its bank on the southerly side of the barn, rather than the back. It has been converted into a winery and is currently open for tastings and tours during the winery's operational hours.