Main and Afton Then and Now
The Yardley Historical Association will host two walking tours and a historic preservation program in October.
A Downtown Yardley Walking Tour will be conducted on Sunday, October 6 at 2 pm starting at the Old Library by Lake Afton, located at 46 West Afton Ave. in Yardley. Charlie Thomforde will guide the hour-long exploration along South Main Street, Afton Avenue and Canal Street.
Along the way, the story of the town’s evolution from a single grist mill on Brock Creek to a thriving, diverse community will emerge. The Yardleyville Bridge, the Delaware Canal, trollies, two competing fire companies, the railroad, and life in small town America all play a part. A $10 person donation is requested, and reservations are necessary.
“The $$ and Sense of Yardley’s Historic District” will be shared during a presentation on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 pm at the Old Library. Yardley Borough has had a historic district since 1985, and it was placed on the National Historic Register in 2005. Come learn which sections of the Borough are in the district and why they were selected. The questions of what being in the district entails, what role it plays in the town, and how the district affects values and potential will be answered.
Megan McNish from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Harrisburg will provide her perspectives on the benefits of historic districts and how they operate. The program will be illustrated with photographs of buildings in Yardley’s district taken by members of the Churchville Photography Club. The presentation is free, and the public is welcome to attend, particularly those who appreciate the town’s character and want to see it retained.
A Not-Too-Haunting Delaware Canal Walking Tour will follow the towpath on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 3:30 pm. Walkers will meet for the one-mile stroll at the intersection of Morgan and Fuld Avenues.
Stories of snapping turtles, watermelon napping, a damsel stuck in the mud, an Underground Railroad connection, a flood escape route, and how the opening of the canal turned Yardley into a town will be told by Susan Taylor.
A Halloween treat will be a view of Canal-O-Ween, Yardley’s now famous line-up of hundreds of creatively carved pumpkins. All the jack-o-lantern details can be seen better in the daylight; the street isn’t crowded, and the legion of volunteers who light the candles, may be at work. A $10 donation per person donation is requested, and reservations are required.
To make reservations and find out more about these events and other activities about the Yardley Historical Association, call 215-208-1154, email 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.