Lower Makefield Township
William and Jane Yardley were among the first settlers on the land to be known later as Makefield. The Yardleys were friends of William Penn, and were in his "inner circle" since Jane (Heath)Yardley's brother in law, JAMES HARRISON, was an advisor to William Penn and steward of Pennsbury. William and Jane Yardley and sons surveyed their land in September 1682 and named it "Prospect Farm" on December 20, 1682. Later in the winter of 1702-03 most of the Yardley family died of small pox with the exception of the wives of the Yardley brothers Enoch and Thomas. Thomas Yardley's wife Hester was later remarried to RICHARD HOUGH, who is credited with naming Makefield Township. Hough, a provincial councilor, may have chosen the name Makefield as an Americanization of the name "Macclesfield," his native home in Cheshire, England. The Township of Makefield was founded in 1692 when Bucks County appointed a grand jury to divide the county into townships. The original five townships were Bensalem, Bristol, Falls, Makefield and Middletown. Forty-five years later the northern portion of the township was split off to form Upper Makefield.
The 1693 census recorded a population of 100 persons and was essentially devoted to farming. By 1810 the population had grown to 1089 persons, and small villages were forming. The Reading Railroad came to Lower Makefield in 1876, but the area remained largely agricultural. However, all that changed after World War II when the township's eighteen square miles were transformed to a suburban community of residential homeowners. It was with great foresight that the Township's founding fathers created the first Zoning Ordinance in 1939 and the first Comprehensive Township Master Plan in 1954. Continuous updating of these documents has provided for growth in an orderly fashion to preserve the quality of life in Lower Makefield.
The 1693 census recorded a population of 100 persons and was essentially devoted to farming. By 1810 the population had grown to 1089 persons, and small villages were forming. The Reading Railroad came to Lower Makefield in 1876, but the area remained largely agricultural. However, all that changed after World War II when the township's eighteen square miles were transformed to a suburban community of residential homeowners.
It was with great foresight that the Township's founding fathers created the first Zoning Ordinance in 1939 and the first Comprehensive Township Master Plan in 1954. Continuous updating of these documents has provided for growth in an orderly fashion to preserve the quality of life in Lower Makefield.
