Gallows Hill (Long) Cemetery
Tax Parcel #42-22-107
Gallows Hill is located mainly in the southeast corner of Springfield Township. The summit of this high point has an elevation of 625 feet. The area is also known as Stony Point.
Gallows Hill Road was previously known as School Acre Road, then Old Philadelphia Road, and then Durham Road.
A Chronology of Gallows Hill and Gallows Hill Cemetery:
Lenni Lenape Indians. Henry Chapman Mercer was shown stones that marked the site of an ancient Indian crematory, and many aboriginal relics have been found on Gallows Hill. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, page 170. Henry Mercer (1856-1930) is the founder of the Mercer Museum in Doylestown.
1727. The use of a graveyard for burials on the east side of Durham Road and the north side of Gallows Hill began about 1727.
1737. At sunrise on September 19, 1737, participants in the Walking Purchase began walking from Wrightstown, heading north up the main public road known as Durham Road. After the first 18 miles, one walker, Solomon Jennings, abandoned the walk at Ottsville. At the crossroads at Harrow, the remaining two walkers took the trail to the left and continued on to Gallows Hill. At Gallows Hill, they abandoned the road and continued northwest, following along a well-traveled Indian path. The Walking Purchase Monument was erected at the point in Gallows Hill where they abandoned the road and headed left along the Indian path.
1738. April 11. The name Gallows Run (Run/Stream) appeared on the warrant issued for the William Ware Tract by Thomas and Richard Penn, the Proprietaries. The cemetery plot was originally a part of what was known as the ""Ware Tract"", a 196-acre plot on Gallows Run, the warrant for which was issued by Thomas and William Penn on April 11, 1738. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, pages 169 to 173.
1739. The survey of the ""Ware Tract,"" a 196-acre plot on Gallows Run took place on June 9, 1739.
1741. An indenture between Bartholomew Longstreth and Joseph Robinson noted the sale of 250 acres on Gallow Hill Run.
1744. The purchase of 196 acres and 80 perches in Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, PA, was patented to William Ware on February 14, 1744. Patent Book A-Volume 12, page 225.
1746. In the will of Bartholomew Longstreth, of Warminster Township, dated March 17, 1746, is found, ""indentures between myself and Joseph Robinson of Rockhill, June 5, 1741, whereby I sold him 250 acres on Gallows Hill Run in Bucks County."" This was only four years after the Walk. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, page 172.
1757. Burial. Elizabeth Brown, wife of John Brown. Born 1721. Died October 3, 1757. Aged 36 years.
1757. In a deposition taken twenty years after the Indian Walk of September 19, 1737, Edward Marshall, the Indian Purchase walker, referred to the point where he left the old Durham Road as Gallows Hill, indicating that he knew the name of the place at the time of the Walk. The walkers then followed a well-beaten Indian path northwestwardly and more direct towards the Blue Mountains.
In Place Names in Bucks County, page 171, George MacReynolds explains the ""Gallows"" reference as due to Edward Marshall, the Indian Walk Purchase runner who broke his ""gallowses"" (suspenders) as he jumped a small brook there and left them hanging on the oak tree.
Another story is an early settler of the section was so depressed at the loss of his barn by fire that he hung himself from a limb of a large oak tree.
1759. The name Gallows is recorded on Nicholas Scull's map of Pennsylvania during the same time that a tavern, the Three Tuns, was in business on Durham Road. Tuns is not a misspelling of tons, but derives from the design on a tavern sign excavated in Pompeii; a tun being another name for wine cask.
1762. The title to the cemetery trust was confirmed by Philip Jacobi to the Red Hill Presbyterian Church of Tinicum Township on April 12, 1762.
1765. On March 8, 1765, William Ware deeded to Reverend Richard Treat and George Taylor 1 acre (size 10 x 16 perches) in Trust for a Burying Ground situate on the east side of Durham Road. Recorded in Bucks County, Deed Book No. 20, page 235.
1765. William Ware gave title for one acre of the 196-acre plot for a graveyard, in trust, to Reverend Richard Treat and George Taylor, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, on March 8, 1765. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, page 169
1773. Joseph Galloway was interested in land tracts in Durham Township. Joseph E. Sandford suggests, "It may be probable that Gallows Run is the short for "Galloway's Run". Except, the stream had its name long before Galloway''s activity in Durham. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, page 172.
1776. ""Gallows Hill received its name in this way during the Revolution. A foundry in Durham Township made ammunition for the colonial army. After the war there was a dull period and the laborers had to eat, so they stole farmer''s cattle and butchered them, in those days; stealing meant capitol punishment. The farmers got together and caught a few and built a gallows in a field, near a graveyard."" History of East Rock Hill by William H. Atkinson 1971, page 27
1781. Burial. Thomas Long. Son of Thomas and Rachel Long. Born June 11, 1773. Died October 18, 1781. Aged 8 years, 4 months, and 7 days. His death was due to the flu.
1782. Title to the cemetery was confirmed by Philip Jacobi/Jacoby to the Red Hill Presbyterian Congregation in Tinicum Township on April 12, 1782.
1782. The cemetery was owned by Red Hill Presbyterian Church. The History of Bucks County by William W. H. Davis, page 544
1782. Burial. James Long. Son of Thomas and Rachel Long. Born November 6, 1768. Died October 3, 1782. Aged 13 years, 10 months and 27 days. His death was due to the flu.
1782. ""In the northwest corner of the township three miles from Kintnerville, in a piece of timber on the farm of Frank Campbell is an old graveyard, in which interments have not been made for many years. Most of the graves are marked by rough, unlettered stones, a few only revealing the names of the silent sleepers. The oldest is that of Elizabeth, wife of John Brown, who died October 3d, 1757, aged thirty-six years; Thomas Little, died March 14, 1787, aged fifty-five years; and Patrick Hines, died November 11, 1813, aged sixty-four years. Near the road is a walled enclosure, some eight by fifteen feet, which appears to have been the burial place of the Long family, probably of Durham. There lie the remains of Thomas Long, esquire, who died February 22d, 1810, aged seventy years, and his two children, Thomas and James, who died in 1781 and 1782. There are other graves inside the enclosure, on two are the initials and figures: S.I.E. 79 and W.I. So far as is known these settlers were of the English-speaking race.""
1787. Burial. Thomas Little. Born 1732. Died March 14, 1787. Aged 35 years.
1798. The longest barn in Springfield Township is in Gallows Hill. It belonged to Jacob Fullmer. It was built extra long in order to avoid paying taxes.
1810. Burial. Thomas Long, Esquire. Born in Ireland in 1740. Died February 22, 1810. Aged 74 years. Thomas Long married Rachel Morgan on June 10, 1768. Rachel nee Morgan Long is buried in the old cemetery at Durham Church. She was born in England on October 15, 1748, and died September 20, 1828 at age 79 years 11 months and 15 days. Pennsylvania Archives Second Series, Volume 2, page 179. Her gravesite is in Section O.S. 07-20, marked as the ""Relic of Thomas Long, Esq.""
DAR Patriot Index Page 422. LONG Thomas b 1740 d 2-22-1810 m Rachel (Smith) Morgan Maj PS CS PA. (See below for definition of PS and CS.)
The symbol PS means Patriotic Service, such as: An Associator; Collector of Provisions; Defender of fort or frontier; Delegate to a Continental Congress or to a Provincial Congress; Express Rider; Fence Viewer; Furnishing a substitute; Gunsmith who gave his services; Inspector of provisions; Member of the Boston Tea Party, or the Cherokee Expedition, or the Galvez Expedition, or the Kaskaskia Campaign; Member of a Committee made necessary by the War; Minister who made patriotic sermons; Munitions maker; Nurse; Taking an oath of allegiance; Patroller; Prisoner of War or of the Indians; Ranger; Rendering aid to the wounded; Rendering material aid; Signer of an Association Test; Signer of a petition; Surgeon; Wheelwright.
The symbol CS means Civil Service, that is, the holding of a Civil office such as: Constable; Jailor; Judge; Juror; Justice of Peace; Legislator; Ordinary; Selectman; Sheriff; Surveyor of Highways; Tax Collector; Town Clerk; Town Treasurer; etc.
1813. Burial. Patrick Hines. Born 1748. Died November 11, 1813. Aged 64 years.
1832. Burial. ""William Strock, an ancestor of the Strock family of Springtown, was popularly known as William Strock the fiddler, and he died about 1832 or 1833, and was buried in the Gallows Hill graveyard. His wife was Magdalena Young Strock, who survived him, and died about 1840. She was an amiable and excellent woman."" John Ruth Autobiography of 1897.
1855. "The name "Gallows" originated from the finding of the dead body of a man, supposed to have been a suicide, suspended from a limb of a chestnut tree by the roadside on Gallows Hill." He apparently hung himself on that tree by his ""galluses"", what we now call suspenders. The word ""galluses"" over the years then became ""Gallows"" and, hence, ""Gallows Road"". William J. Buck.
It is supposed that the suicide from whom Gallows may have derived its name is buried in the nearby ancient graveyard. Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, page 169.
1855. According to records at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, the cemetery, owned by the Red Hill Church, was dissolved in 1855. Their records also show that ""Upon dissolvement, the Red Hill Church activities at that site were continued by St. Luke''s United Church of Christ"".
1860. ""A native of Haycock said the ruins of the gallows could be still be seen after the Civil War in 1860."" History of East Rock Hill by William H. Atkinson 1971, page 27
1884. March 20. The Postmaster in Gallows Hill is John S. Romig.
1892. October 1. John E. Seip, Practical Auctioneer. All orders for personal Property and Real Estate Sales Promptly attended to. Terms Reasonable. Address: Gallows, Pa. Springtown Weekly Times.
1905. ""A tavern was kept at Stoney Point as early as 1758, and known as the "Three Tons," and in 1784 Samuel Breckenridge was the landlord. It was owned in 1830 by Jacob Keichline, of Pipersville, who sold it to Jacob E. Buck, of Nockamixon, at which time a post, with three kegs fastened upon it with an iron rod, stood on the west side of the road, opposite the tavern-house. He opened a store there the following year, and continued it until 1836. In 1833 Mr. Buck had a new tavern sign painted with "Stony Point" upon it, the name it has borne from that day to this. At the "Walking Purchase," in 1737, the walkers left the Durham road at this place, on the top of Gallows hill, and followed the Indian path through the woods, on the line of the present road leading to Bursonville, Springtown, and Bethlehem."" History of Bucks County by William W. H. Davis, page 78.
""Gallows Hill. One of the most interesting aspects of Gallows Hill is the historical origin of its name. Although several explanations have been offered, none of them is well documented. One story claims that during the Indian Walking Purchase of 1737, Edward Marshall broke his ""gallowses"" (suspenders) while jumping a stream near Gallows Hill. Supposedly, he left the gallowses"" hanging in a tree near the stream. However, this explanation has been refuted because Marshall referred to the place as Gallows Hill in a survey shortly after the Walking Purchase, indicating that he knew the name of the place at the time of the walk. Another story claims that the name came from Joseph Galloway who was interested in purchasing land tracts in northern Bucks County in 1773. This explanation must also be wrong since the area was known as Gallows Hill long before 1773. A third explanation is that a dead man, who had apparently committed suicide, was found hanging from a chestnut tree next to the road on Gallows Hill. Although this is a rather morbid explanation, it has not been proven wrong.
Presently, Gallows Hill is a small village located in a scenic area surrounded by hills and woods. The village principally consists of older residential dwellings. A small store is located at the intersection of Harrow Road and Gallows Hill Road. At first glance, the store appears to be boarded up and closed; however, the store is in operation and seems to do a brisk business. A stone marker, which commemorates the passage of the Walking Purchase participants through the area, stands in front of the store.""
1921. (1860 note continued) ""A native of Haycock said the ruins of the gallows could be still be seen after the Civil War in 1860. This man and I went over there with a pick and shovel about fifty years ago (1921) but could find nothing. But that is where the name originated"". History of East Rock Hill by William H. Atkinson 1971, page 27
1912. ""Gallows community tradition claims Edward Marshall, the Indian Purchase walker of 1737, broke his "gallowses" in jumping across the run and left his broken gallowses (suspenders) hanging on a tree at the brook side, hence the name Gallows Run. Information from Warren S. Ely, member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Librarian of the Bucks County Historical Society.
1926. ""William Ware, the original owner of the tract, on March 8, 1765, granted the Reverend Richard Treat (1) and George Taylor (2) a lot of one acre (size ten by sixteen perches) of land ""to be holden in trust by the said Richard Treat and George Taylor for a burying ground forever."" This is the Old Gallows Hill burying ground still in existence. This tract was later conveyed to Daniel Jamison and Samuel McCamon, in Trust, on behalf of the Red Hill Presbyterian Church."" (See Deed Book No. 20, page 235.) From an address of Warren S. Ely at the unveiling of Indian Walk monument at Gallows Hill, Three Tuns Inn, November 21, 1926.
The monument marks the point where the walkers participating in the Indian Walk of September 19, 1737, left the old Durham Road to follow an Indian path northwestwardly and more direct towards the Blue Mountains.
1926. Robert and Edith Ziegenfuss bought the farm that abuts the separately deeded cemetery from Henry Yankin/Youngken. At this time, the cemetery was overgrown.
1944. Robert Ziegenfuss sold the 102-acre farm to his son Norman Ziegenfuss. Norman Ziegenfuss was born in 1923.
1970s. Springfield Township workers did some maintenance work at the cemetery in the early 1970s, but then the work stopped.
1973. Norman Ziegenfuss subdivided his 102-acre farm in October 1973, retaining a small lot to the east of the farm. He sold the farmhouse, buildings and the remaining fifteen acres to H. Walter Johnson and his wife, Thelma Ann Johnson.
Many people did not know that there was a cemetery next to the property. The cemetery was grown over with trees and briars and the grave markers could not be seen. American Legion men from Ferndale and Ottsville helped Roy Johnson, the son of Walter Johnson, pull trees and clean up the cemetery.
1982. May 30. The Intelligencer published an article by Kathryn F. Clark, with a picture of the graveyard. Her article described the annual ceremony held there by the Ottsville Legionnaires Post #399.
1985. March 16. The cemetery property was sold to the ""Presbyterian Congregation of Tinicum Township"" (Ottsville). The organization may no longer exist.
1996. Roy E. Johnson, son of Walter Johnson, has owned the farm at 2003 Gallows Hill Road, Tax Parcel 42-022-108, consisting of 12.971 acres on the east side of LR09061 at Hunter Road since September 25, 1996. According to MEA Land Record Parcel Information, the two-story house was built in 1880, and has a frame exterior and full basement.
Roy Johnson felt it his duty, as did his father, to care for the cemetery as was previously done by Norman Ziegenfuss for more than 25 years. For over 20 years, the Johnson family has kept the grass cut and the trees in shape at the cemetery.
1998. Norman Ziegenfuss built a ranch house on the 2.56-acre lot (Tax Parcel 42-022-108-001) that he retained in 1973.
2004. May. Every year, just before Memorial Day, Ottsville Legionnaires Post #399 performs a memorial service at the cemetery. They bring the colors, form ranks, and place American flags by each of three Revolutionary War graves that are outside of the stonewall.
The following description of the Gallows Hill Cemetery is by Charles Hermann. ""Originally the cemetery was fenced in right up to the road and the Ziegenfuss family let heifers run free around the cemetery grounds, but care was always given to the cemetery proper. There were no interments during all of the Ziegenfuss and Johnson years of overseeing the cemetery. There was also no flagpole. The flagpole is thought to have been erected by members of both the Ferndale and Ottsville Legionnaires.
Outside and around the small dry-stone wall of the cemetery are about 150 graves with rough rocks where, reportedly, Indians and the indigent were buried. There is an indecipherable headstone, up nearer the Johnson farmhouse fence, where an unknown woman is buried. It is reported that when her headstone gets wet the image of a woman appears on the back of her stone! Right as the road bends lies a rough fieldstone under which sleeps a veteran from the Revolutionary war. Just to the front of that rough fieldstone are two other revolutionary war veterans, also adorned only with rough fieldstones.
Within the stonewall there are three stones from the Long family; Thomas Long, an attorney and his two sons. Thomas'' wife is buried in the old section of Durham Union cemetery at Durham Church. The sons, James Long and Thomas Long, ages 13 and 8, died from the flu in 1781 and 1782 respectively. Thomas Long Sr. (died 1810) was also a Revolutionary war vet so the American Legion puts the fourth and final Revolutionary War memorial flag besides his headstone. Thomas Long may be related to the William and Jane Long that originally built the Durham Grist Mill. William and Jane''s names are prominently displayed at the very top of the West Side of the gristmill.
(Buried in Durham Cemetery in Section O.S. 07-19 is Jane Long, wife of William Long, Esq., died September 22, 1829 at age 50 years 5 months 15 days. Buried in Durham Cemetery in Section O.S. 07-18 is William Long, Esq., born October 27, 1775 and died March 21, 1843 at age 67 years, 4 months, 22 days. A ""War 1812/14"" military marker is displayed on his grave.
The gravesite of Rachel Long, daughter of William and Jane Long, and wife of Abraham Houpt is in Section A-01=12. She died April 1, 1852 at age 52 years and 7 months. Abraham Houpt, son of John Houpt (1767-1851) and Anna Elizabeth Youngken (1770-3/1/1831), was born 9/11/1799 and died 8/15/1871 at age 71 years 11 months and 4 days. He is buried in Section A-01-13. Their daughters, Mary E. Houpt born 2/14/1807 and died 3/17/1863 is buried Section A-02-09 a, and Sarah V. Houpt died 12/15/1848 is buried Section A-02-09b.)
(Soon after John Houpt bought the mills, he was able to erect a large and substantial stone house, which is the present homestead, and dates therefore about 1798. He raised there a family of ten children, but of his four sons, only one married. That one was Abraham Houpt, who married Rachel, the daughter of William and Jane Long, but left only one son and grandson, who has no male issue.)
Within the stonewall are two other weathered stones showing only the initials of WI and SI. The WI stone shows three numbers: 179, but no final year. The other stone (SI) shows 1794. It is not known who they are.
In July 2000, Charles Herrmann pulled back the rubble walls, re-cut the wall beds and then sorted and reset all of the stonewalls to provide the needed dignity due such an honored place. Mulch was added inside the stonewalls. The wall, now over 120 years old, is maintained by volunteers.""
Information obtained from the Bucks County Bureau of Veteran Affairs show the four Revolutionary war veterans interred as follows: Patrick Hine, Thomas Long Esquire, Thomas Long, and unknown. Their exact burial spot, except for Thomas Long who lies within the wall, is no longer known. End
CORRESPONDENCE. A member of the Springfield Township Historical Society residing in New York, intrigued by the mention of Gallows Hill in the April newsletter, wrote to ask for the answer to "Why is Gallows Hill so called? Was someone hanged there?" The answer is found in Place Names In Bucks County by George MacReynolds, pages 170 to 173.
Excerpt from the Springfield Township Historical Society Road Caravan, 1993
At Stoney Point Store, turn left around to Gallows Hill Road
On the right is Gallows Hill Cemetery (Presbyterian) 1757
Ahead is Buckwampum Hill site of an Indian settlement and stills.
At Hunter Road turn right
At Route 412, make a left turn and immediately make a right turn onto School Road
At Maple Road turn right
R - Harvey Fabian homestead Springtown blacksmith 1889
At Mink Road turn left
R - Gentile's Mink farm
John Anderson - Militia
At Winding Road turn left
R - Rice School 1858
Phillip Mann, John Mann - Militia
R - Amity School 1851
Michael Dithart Petitioner Patent Joseph Keifest 1739
Excerpt from the History of Springtown by Betty Riter:
In 1927, Ray and Ida Unangst moved to Gallows Hill Road in Kintnersville. Here they had a large dairy of 70 to 80 cows. Three rows of stanchions kept four milkers going at once. The Unangsts named their dairy, Fairview Dairy; and had the name registered. They advertised quality raw milk and cream, and Dari-Rich chocolate milk. Their advertisement was "You've Tried the Rest, Now Try the Best." The dairy delivered 2500 quarts of milk a day in a 50-mile radius.
The Unangst may have had a dairy, but Mrs. Unangst never milked the cows! She says that she tried it once and the cow kicked everything out of her hands and she never went back.
In 1955, the Unangst's sold the farm and moved back to Springtown. They kept the milk route. They installed a large cooler in their barn, bought milk from Suncrest Dairy and continued with milk delivery in Springtown
Gallows Hill (Long) Cemetery
Address: Located at Gallows Hill (Stony Point). A 1-acre graveyard on the east side of Durham Road.
History: 1782. On behalf of the Red Hill Presbyterian Church. See Davis'' History of Bucks County page 544. Enter on-line at The History of Bucks County - Davis
Listing: 7 legible grave markers, and 100 fieldstone markers illegible.