Mill Details

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse

Bucks Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Known Dates: Orig. 1768, rebilt 1789 & again in 1790-91 after f
Township: Solebury Twp. / New Hope Boro.
Watersource: Aquetong Creek.
Location / Directions

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse

Take US 202 east from Dolestown, angle right onto Sh 179 into New Hope. At the junction of Sh 179 & Sh 32/River Rd./Main St., go south past W. Ferry St. The mill site, now incorporated into the Bucks County Playhouse is on the left at Aquetong Creek.

Verse for Thought
"Make music for him on harps. Play beautiful melodies! Sound the trumpets and horns and celebrate with joyful songs for our Lord and King."
({Psalm 98:5 & 6 CEV})
Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

The first mill was built in 1768 when Coryell's Ferry was the moniker of the town. Dr. John Todd purchased the grist mill from Atkinson & Pettit, in turn selling the grist mill and saw mill to Benjamn Parry in 1789.

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

Parry bebuilt the mills, adding a flaxseed oil mill and a flour mill to the existing grsit mill and lumber mill. A year later fire destroyed the mills, but, he rebuilt the flour & lumber mills, renaming them "New Hope Mills".

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

The 1851 Parry barn, one of the oldest stone buildings in New Hope, slightly altered from the original appearance, had been an Art Gallery for many years. Now, is in a transitional phase between uses.

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

More milling history coming soon.

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

The falls on the Aquetong at the former mill location.

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

The mill continued operating up into 1938, when the machinery stopped and the doors closed for the last time by then operator, Andrew Brown. The Bucks County scale of agriculture and lumber production could not effectively compete any longer on either a national or international level. The milling industry had moved earlier to Baltimore & Rochester, and was even then,in 1938, moving westward to larger scale farming and a milling center focused in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

Parry Mill / Bucks County Playhouse
Jim Miller 06/20/2007

The Salt Works on E Mechanic St. east of Pa 32 just south of Aquetong Creek and the former New Hope Mills. The building was also at one time the offices for the New Hope Mills enterprise.

 
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