Rushland is an unincorporated community that is located in the northwestern corner of
Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Wrightstown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,995 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 10.0 square miles (25.8&nb ...
, United States.
History
This community was originally named for Joseph Sackett, who came here in 1730. It was called Sackett's Ford from 1750 to approximately 1800. Sackett built a grist mill store and blacksmith shop near Mill Creek where it joined the
Neshaminy Creek
Neshaminy Creek is a United States Geological Survey. National Hydrography DatasetThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream that runs entirely through Bucks County, Pennsylvania, rising south of the borough of Chalfont, where its north a ...
. Some authorities claim that the name of the hamlet, first Rush Valley and later Rushland, was due to the availability of "scouring rushes" used by early settlers for cleaning pots and pans.
On December 29, 1883 a post office was established under the name Rush Valley. In 1894, the name was changed to Rushland.
Located along the Mill Creek near Rushland was a settlement started by Italian immigrants, who came to the area as laborers when the railroad was being built in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Their community became known as Little Italy. By forcing its way through a rocky cliff, the railroad opened a major industry for Rushland, the stone quarry, an industry that continues to this day. The
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad passes through Rushland on the former Reading New Hope Branch and the old depot still stands to day.
[http://www.readingrr.com/lines/newhope3.htm]
Notable features
The
Vansant Farmhouse was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1977.
References
External links
Rushland Ridge Vineyard and Winery
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania