But many of his soldiers did—that is, on its grounds or nearby. This historic treasure, known today as the Thompson-Neely farmstead (TN), is located in upper Bucks Country, Pennsylvania, and is a featured attraction of Washington Crossing Historic Park (WCHP).
A History-Laden Spot
In December 1776, a Continental army brigade commanded by General William Alexander, known as Lord Stirling, encamped here (although Stirling himself stayed at another residence). Over 600 soldiers were posted on or near the grounds of TN in Solebury Township, two miles south of Coryell’s Ferry (New Hope today). During this time, the house was used to care for soldiers who were ill and served as a headquarters for several Continental officers, including: Captain William Washington, the commander-in-chief’s second cousin, once removed; and eighteen-year-old Lieutenant James Monroe, the future fifth President of the United States—both with the 3rd Virginia Regiment.
On Christmas Day 1776, the soldiers in the brigade who were physically able to do so marched four miles south to McConkey’s Ferry, which is in today’s lower section of WCHP. There they joined in the fabled Delaware River crossing that led to a dramatic victory over the German troops (known as Hessians) occupying Trenton, New Jersey—the first significant success enjoyed by George Washington’s army and the beginning of its legendary “Ten Crucial Days” campaign that changed the course of the war.
Kimberly McCarty, WCHP Museum Curator, describes TN’s historical significance as follows:
The Thompson-Neely property is one of the most meaningful spaces at Washington Crossing Historic Park. For sick and exhausted soldiers, this campsite served as a temporary home after an arduous retreat across New Jersey—and for some it became their permanent resting place. Here the beleaguered Continental army struggled to replenish itself before its daring crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776.
The House
TN is a stone structure built in three sections and characteristic of stone farmhouses constructed by early-eighteenth-century settlers of Bucks County, who typically replaced their log cabins or framed cottages with stone dwellings. The house is located near Pidcock Creek (named after the first European immigrant to live on this property), which provided power for the owner’s gristmill, and is surrounded by a barn and a cluster of small outbuildings that are restored examples of structures from an eighteenth-century farm complex. The stone house has undergone several stages of construction and restoration since its original section was built around 1740.
The Families
When the Continental army arrived at their doorstep in December 1776, two families occupied TN. They included Robert Thompson and his wife Hannah (he being her second husband), their daughter Elizabeth and her husband William Neely, and the Neely’s two young children—Jane and Robert.
The families operated a thriving milling business. Their success reflected the importance of millers in the agricultural society of colonial Pennsylvania at a time when the grinding of grains such as wheat, corn, and barley was an essential life-sustaining activity and the prosperity of local wheat farmers derived from Philadelphia’s burgeoning export market for flour. In fact, Robert Thompson was one of the wealthier men listed in the Solebury township tax records for 1761, 1778, and 1783, all the while expanding the size of his stone house. A later version of the TN gristmill, built around 1870, is now accessible to the public (see below).
We’re (ahem) Neely at the End
Today, TN is open for guided tours from April through November. For more information, check online or call the WCHP visitor center at 215-493-4076.
This venerable piece of Bucks County history has a fascinating story behind it—the hardships faced by Revolutionary War soldiers, the sweat and enterprise of eighteenth and nineteenth-century millers, changing family fortunes over the decades, the rescue and restoration of a deteriorating house by the state of Pennsylvania, and the revival of a now-operational gristmill by the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. Plus the kids will love the sheep and miniature goats residing in the barn, and there’s the Bowman’s Hill Tower and Continental soldiers’ cemetery nearby.
Come visit. If you’re a history buff or just love old houses or gristmills, you won’t regret or forget your time at TN. Indeed, this is no (wait for it) run-of-the-mill experience.