Wrightstown Township

Wrightstown Township municipal offices are located at 738 Penns Park Road, Wrightstown PA 18940; phone: 215-598-3476.

Unwitting Prophecy

Wrightstown is the most sparsely settled of the municipalities in the lower half of Bucks County. I would like to believe this situation was perhaps unwittingly prophesized more than 300 years ago. Consider the following, discovered in History of Bucks County Pennsylvania, William W. H. Davis, Lewis Publishing, 1905.

"Some light is thrown on the origin of the name "Wrightstown." by which it was called soon after it was settled, by the following extract from a letter of Phineas Pemberton to William Penn, in England, dated November 27, 1687."

The land I have in Wrightstown is twelve hundred ackers, and only one settlement upon it. I lately offered to have given 100 ackers if he would have seated there and he has since bought at a very great price rather than go so far into the woods. There is about 500 ackers yet to take up in the towne. The people hereabout are much disappointed with Wright and his cheating tricks he played here. They think much to call it after such a rungadoe's name. He has not been in these parts for several years therefore I desire thee to give it a name. I have sometimes called it Centertown, because it lyes near the center of the county, as it may be supposed and the towne is layed out with a center in the middle of 600 ackers or thereabouts."

I smile as I imagine poor Phineas was not so different from contemporary developers who lobby to have their subdivisions included inside postal boundaries bearing the name of areas perceived to be better-class, better-known. (One that comes readily to mind is Princeton. You can purchase and live in a home with a Princeton address, yet remain 'quite a distance' from being in "Princeton." Phineas was undoubtedly frustrated at not being able to sell-off property, hoping the Proprietor would officially dub the area "Centertown" and likely assumed no doubt that the subliminal effect would loosen peoples' perception of its "remote" location, as he notes – "so far into the woods."

What prompted this comment was my discovery, today, of two items of interest (reproduced, below) that were published in the township's newsletter, "Wrightstown Review," Spring 2003 issue. They suggest to me that, unlike Phineas Pemberton, contemporary residents are not so anxious to "sell off" portions of their town. This kind of stewardship will help keep Wrightstown the least populated municipality in the area; for those who can appreciate this kind of thinking and action, may decide it's worth some effort and the extra wait that may be required to find a home to purchase in Wrightstown. (Not to mention expense -- as of this month (April 2003) Wrightstown has the 3rd highest median asking price of all 54 Bucks County municipalities. I wonder how Phineas Pemberton might view things in Wrightstown today. -- Publisher, Living Places

Wrightstown Open Space Master Plan

Through a 2-year public participation process in which more than 135 residents partook, a Master Site Plan was completed in May 2002 for our Township's Open Space tract at Second Street Pike and Park Avenue. A matching grant of $10,000 from Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) enabled the Township to contract the services of a landscape architecture firm for planning assistance and analysis of the natural resources on the site.

The 60-acre Hipple tract was acquired through a bond issue approved by Township residents in 1996. In 1998, the neighboring 40-acre Wicen tract was acquired through our Supervisors' pursuit of Bucks County Open Space funding. We are indebted to the Hipple and Wicen families for their support of open space preservation and the rural vistas we treasure.

The Master Site Plan was guided by a 1997 survey of the Township's homeowners, which revealed an overwhelming desire to maintain the rural and agricultural character of the community, while making open space more enjoyable and accessible to the public and enhancing and protecting its natural resources. The plan includes:

• Maintaining existing farmlands
• Creating woodland, grass trails
• Building a small picnic pavilion and multi-use field
• Planting wildflowers and trees
• Creating a community backyard wildlife habitat and woodland deer enclosure demonstration
• Establishing a Memorial Grove
• Creating a community supported organic farm (CSA)

The Master Site Plan is available for review at the Township Office and at the Village Library of Wrightstown. The Township has applied for a second 50% matching grant from DCNR that would facilitate implementation of Phase One of the Master Site Plan. Protecting additional open space in the Township remains a priority to the Board and committees. Let's continue to enjoy and protect the rich farm, stream and woodland vistas of our Township!

Community Organic Farm Planned

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an intriguing feature of the recently completed Master Site Plan for Anchor Run Farm. Although CSA's are popular in Delaware and Chester Counties and other parts of the country, Anchor Run Farm will be the first in Bucks County as well as the first on municipal property in Pennsylvania.

CSA's are an arrangement between a local farmer and the community by which local residents buy annual "shares" of the harvest, receiving their share of the farm's produce each week during the six month growing season. Weekly member yields usually include 6 to 12 different seasonal, fresh, organic vegetables, berries, flowers and/or herbs, picked at the peak of ripeness that day. Frequently CSA's inspire other local farm enterprises, such as tree fruits, honey, pastured meats, brick oven bread, milk, cheese and eggs. Through "subscribing" to the farm, the community helps to absorb the risks of farming and supports continued farming as a viable local livelihood.

The CSA concept is booming. One CSA in Pennington, NJ has over 2,000 shareholders. People delight in the freshness, taste, and nutritional quality of the produce and in knowing that it is free of pesticides and grown in a sustainable way. People enjoy seeing how food grows, visiting the farm, and supporting local farming and land protection.

Preparations are being made at Anchor Run Farm so that a few acres will be ready for organic production in 2004. Contact Robin of the Township's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) at 215-860-7081.