HISTORY OF WARMINSTER
Warminster Township earns its name from a town in Wiltshire County, England. The name derives from Saxon origin WAR meaning a fortress and MINSTER meaning a church. William Penn purchased the land that makes up Warminster Township on June 23, 1683 from the Lenni Lenape Indians (for a nominal fee by the standards of any day). It was first described as “the land between the Pennypack and Neshamomanic Creeks.” Today, the Neshamomanic is known as the Neshaminy.
It wasn’t until 1685 that Warminster or Southampton were on county maps, and it would not be until 1692 that the Bucks County Courts would establish the township limits for both. At that time, the Courthouse was the Neshaminy Meeting House near Langhorne in Middletown Township. In 1711, Southampton petitioned to be separated completely from Warminster and deemed its own township. The petition was granted, and thus, by historical accounts, Warminster was officially founded in 1711.
Among the many early settlers of Warminster were several families of distinction. The Harts, of Hartsville, were the first, and they came from Oxfordshire England in 1682. John Hart’s property consisted of one thousand acres that were purchased from Penn. Two of their ten children went on to greater things: Oliver studied under William Tennent and became a Baptist Minister in South Carolina. Joseph became an officer in the Revolutionary army. The home of the Harts stayed in the family for more than 170 years.
Bartholomew Longstreth was born in Longstrothdale, England in 1679 and came to Pennsylvania in 1698. He bought a 500 acre parcel from Thomas Fairman in part of what later became Johnsville. In 1727 he marrined Ann Dawson, daughter of John Dawson, the founder of Hatboro. Longstreth played a major role in the construction of Newtown Road (between County Line and Bristol Road).
Among some of the other more noted families to settle Warminster in the earlier years were the Yerkes, Nobles, and Beans.
The Log College and William Tennent
William Tennent played a large role in early America’s educational development. Tennent was born in Ireland in 1673 and came to America in 1718. He was a minister for the Philadelphia Presbytery. He spent some time in New York and in Bucks County before he was called to Neshaminy Pennsylvania (now Warminster) in 1726. In 1728, he built a small building that would become known as the Log College. It was here that he opened a school to teach candidates of the ministry.
The Log College was regarded as one of the better schools in this country at the time, and from it came many notable Presbyterian ministers. Princeton College and other universities can trace their roots back to the Log College. Tennent would reside here until his death in 1746, just three years after retiring from the ministry. He left behind a legacy, however, and out of his little Log College in Warminster, PA came the beginning of the Presbytery here in America.
LANDMARKS AND HISTORIC SITES
Information Coming Soon...
PARKS AND RECREATION
POPULATION: 32,000 (2000 US Census)
SIZE: 10.2 Square Miles
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