Northampton Township is a growing suburban community of some 40,000 residents. The 26 square mile municipality is located 12 miles northeast of Philadelphia, PA. The first Europeans to come to the Township were English immigrants who arrived with William Penn in the late 1600s. It was these settlers who named the area after Northamptonshire, a small village outside of London. The Township was incorporated in 1722.

By that time, Dutch farmers joined the English colonists to settle in places destined to become known as Richboro, Holland, Churchville, Rocksville, Addisville, and Jacksonville - all located within Northampton Township.

"When William Penn was granted land in America by King Charles II of England in 1681, he told his proprietors that before any ground could be settled, it first should be purchased from the natives who lived on it. The Indians realized that Penn intended to deal justify with them, and they held him in great respect.

On June 23, 1683, Penn purchased from the Lenni Lenape Indians the land lying between Pennepack and Neshaminy Creeks. Northampton Township was in this area. The Lenni Lenapes, a branch of the Delware Indians, were basically friendly tribes who supplied the means of exsistence to the pioneers during early periods of hardship. History records that there were Indian council rocks along the east bank of the Neshaminy Creek below the present site of the Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania."

"Although the origin of the name of Northampton Township has never been officially verified, it is believed to stem from Northamptonshire, England, "ham" meaning home, and "tun" meaning settlement. North was added to distinguish it from another settlement in the south of England - that is, Southampton".