Berks County
Douglass Township
Full Details
The History of Douglas Township
Douglass, the fourth oldest Township in Berks County, was founded in 1736. Being seven miles in length and approximately two miles in width, it has an area of thirteen square miles. The 2000 census placed the population at 3,327.
Turning back the pages of history, we find that a petition was presentd to the Court of Quarter Sessions in Philidelphia in 1736, stating that for several years about four miles from the high road leading to Philadelphia and by McCalls Manor (now Glasgow) it was difficult for a signle horse to pass without damage. The raod was theat bad, it was known as no man's land lying between Amity and New Hanover Townships. In pursuance of an order of the Court, the Surveyor General Benhamin Eastburn made a draft of th said land petitioned for and certified that the same did not interfere with any other township. Containing 7,000 ares, Douglas Township in the language of that Court was erected on June 7, 1736. John Ball and Hames Yokum were appointed overseers of the highway. Andrew Ringberry was the constable.
In 1716 Thomas Rutter, a Quaker, established the first successful forge in Pennsylvania along the Manatawny Creek in Douglass Townsip. From this beginning the iron industry gew by leaps and dounds from 1716 until 1954 when the mill was sold to Stainless, Inc. The site of the original mill is unmarked.
The pioneers recognized the value of waterpower and built many mills along the Iron Stone Creek. Bechtel's sawmill was one of the first. In 1840 it was taken over by Wren's Woolen Mills as a fulling mill by Amos Bower. Later John Castle enlarged the building. In 1883 it bore the name of William Preston & Co.
The Colebrookdale Iron Works was built on the site of the George Gresh mill. Jonas and W.W. Weaver took over the mill in 1831 and installed a tilt hammer and added a foundry. They made cast iron wood burning stoves, coffee mills, sadirons, wash kettles and meat grinders. In 1867 it was sold by the Weavers to Brendlinger & Co.
Near the Little Oley post office that was established in 1871, Jacob Albright had a tannery, Henry Gresh a sawmill, oil mill and brickyard. Farther along the stream was the George and Henry Gilbert gristmill. It passed to Adam Miller, then Fred Neiman and is known today as MaGee's Mill. Continuing downstream was the Nagle Mill that passed to David Fritz and then to his son Eli, who added a creamery. In 1846 the Levengood gristmill was built. Near the mouth of the Iron Stone Creek Joachin Nagle, who served in the Revolutionary War, built a gristmill. In later years a clover mill was added.
Greshville, the oldest village in the Township, was originally called LImestone due to the large amount of limestone quarried there. In 1853 when the post office was established in the village, the name was changed to Greshville in honor of Adam Gresh who had a store, tavern and distillery.
Glendale, now Pine Forge, had a post office established in 1871. In 1883 a summer school was established under the name of the Glendale Seminary. D.M.B. Wann was the first principal.
The first School in the Township was of log construction and was located across from what is now Gresh's greenhouse in Little Oley. One of the many Greshes in the area at that time taught the school which was operated on a tuition basis of a "few pennies per day."
The Fritz burial ground, now receiving finacial care by the Township Supervisiors, contains the graves of early settlers of which many served in the Revolutionary War. The crude stone markers, many in Pennsylvania German, bear the names of Brunner, Gresh, Yorgey, Hanselman, Nagle, Spatz, Romich, Davidheiser, hatfield, Kuser, Reifsneider, Albrecht, Sahns, Honnelers, Koehler, Kielep, Steinruck, Hebbenheimer, Fegley, Reinert, Handwerk and many others.
The ground upon which this building has been erected bears special historical significance in being parceled from Romich farm. For more than 200 years this land had borne the Romich name. Being an early pioneer family they served their comminity and country well.
Douglass, the fourth oldest Township in Berks County, was founded in 1736. Being seven miles in length and approximately two miles in width, it has an area of thirteen square miles. The 2000 census placed the population at 3,327.
Turning back the pages of history, we find that a petition was presentd to the Court of Quarter Sessions in Philidelphia in 1736, stating that for several years about four miles from the high road leading to Philadelphia and by McCalls Manor (now Glasgow) it was difficult for a signle horse to pass without damage. The raod was theat bad, it was known as no man's land lying between Amity and New Hanover Townships. In pursuance of an order of the Court, the Surveyor General Benhamin Eastburn made a draft of th said land petitioned for and certified that the same did not interfere with any other township. Containing 7,000 ares, Douglas Township in the language of that Court was erected on June 7, 1736. John Ball and Hames Yokum were appointed overseers of the highway. Andrew Ringberry was the constable.
In 1716 Thomas Rutter, a Quaker, established the first successful forge in Pennsylvania along the Manatawny Creek in Douglass Townsip. From this beginning the iron industry gew by leaps and dounds from 1716 until 1954 when the mill was sold to Stainless, Inc. The site of the original mill is unmarked.
The pioneers recognized the value of waterpower and built many mills along the Iron Stone Creek. Bechtel's sawmill was one of the first. In 1840 it was taken over by Wren's Woolen Mills as a fulling mill by Amos Bower. Later John Castle enlarged the building. In 1883 it bore the name of William Preston & Co.
The Colebrookdale Iron Works was built on the site of the George Gresh mill. Jonas and W.W. Weaver took over the mill in 1831 and installed a tilt hammer and added a foundry. They made cast iron wood burning stoves, coffee mills, sadirons, wash kettles and meat grinders. In 1867 it was sold by the Weavers to Brendlinger & Co.
Near the Little Oley post office that was established in 1871, Jacob Albright had a tannery, Henry Gresh a sawmill, oil mill and brickyard. Farther along the stream was the George and Henry Gilbert gristmill. It passed to Adam Miller, then Fred Neiman and is known today as MaGee's Mill. Continuing downstream was the Nagle Mill that passed to David Fritz and then to his son Eli, who added a creamery. In 1846 the Levengood gristmill was built. Near the mouth of the Iron Stone Creek Joachin Nagle, who served in the Revolutionary War, built a gristmill. In later years a clover mill was added.
Greshville, the oldest village in the Township, was originally called LImestone due to the large amount of limestone quarried there. In 1853 when the post office was established in the village, the name was changed to Greshville in honor of Adam Gresh who had a store, tavern and distillery.
Glendale, now Pine Forge, had a post office established in 1871. In 1883 a summer school was established under the name of the Glendale Seminary. D.M.B. Wann was the first principal.
The first School in the Township was of log construction and was located across from what is now Gresh's greenhouse in Little Oley. One of the many Greshes in the area at that time taught the school which was operated on a tuition basis of a "few pennies per day."
The Fritz burial ground, now receiving finacial care by the Township Supervisiors, contains the graves of early settlers of which many served in the Revolutionary War. The crude stone markers, many in Pennsylvania German, bear the names of Brunner, Gresh, Yorgey, Hanselman, Nagle, Spatz, Romich, Davidheiser, hatfield, Kuser, Reifsneider, Albrecht, Sahns, Honnelers, Koehler, Kielep, Steinruck, Hebbenheimer, Fegley, Reinert, Handwerk and many others.
The ground upon which this building has been erected bears special historical significance in being parceled from Romich farm. For more than 200 years this land had borne the Romich name. Being an early pioneer family they served their comminity and country well.
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