ENGLE FARM, DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP
Another Part of the Great Rodman Tract and Its Interesting History - Wynkoop McNair, James Gifford, William Randall and Other Owners Published in Bucks County Intelligencer, 1907.
The former Engle farm is a large farm in the extreme southeast portion of Doylestown township and a mile and a half eastward of Edison. It is in a hilly and romantic country. The lofty and rolling hills which border the Neshaminy here rise higher than in most other portions of the borders of that stream. This is one of the notable farms in the township for size and situation. The buildings are situated on the lower slope of a lofty hill which rises to the northeast from a deep depression, through which flows a brook southward to the Neshaminy. The quite large old stone house is near the road. A very large stone barn stands eastward. To the north is a long, low stone springhouse built long ago. To the rear of this spring house is a two story frame tenant house. The road passing in front of the buildings goes on towards Bridge Point. At this point another road, coming from the southwest, connects with it. The extreme southerly point of this farm touches the Neshaminy. The old stone house and spring house were probably built by the Rodmans at a date unknown to the writer. The house has dormer windows of the old style.
This is a fragment of the great estate owned by the Rodman family in old Warwick, now Doylestown township. A history of this family and their lands was given more fully in the account of the Larzelere farm lying to the southwest and bordering upon the Neshaminy. All this region is part of a great tract of 2111 acres, bought in 1705 by Dr. John Rodman. His will of 1756 gave 600 acres in Warwick to his son, Scamon Rodman. This Dr. John Rodman was born in the Barbados in 1679 and came to Flushing, Long Island, when a young man. He came to own 3000 acres in Burlington county, New Jersey. Samuel. Of these, William Rodman came to Bensalem in 1744 to take charge of 600 acres there. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1763 till 1776. His son, Gilbert Rodman, was born in 1748. He was a major in the American army of the Revolution. He inherited Bucks county lands in Warwick, and lived in the later Almshouse property till 1808. His wife was Sarah Gibbs, and he died in 1830.
A year before his death, or in 1829, Gilbert Rodman sold 394 acres to Edward McIlvaine. This was part of the 794 acres, divided into four plantations, in Warwick, owned by Gilbert Rodman. McIlvaine was only a temporary holder, and lived in Trenton Township, Hunterdon county, New Jersey. In 1830 he sold to a company comprising John Fox, Andrew McMicken, Samuel Dungan, John Flack and George Strouse, 222 acres. In 1831 Fox and the others sold to William Randall, who is termed a miller, of Warwick. The price was $4443.
Randall was the owner for the ensuing eight years. In 1839 he sold to James Gifford, of Northampton, 154 acres and a house for $11,609. Probably the house had been built by Randall. Gifford was the owner for 17 years, or till 1855. The next owner was Wynkoop McNair, of Warrington, who kept possession for eleven years more. In 1866 John Woodington bought of McNair. By this time, either better improvements or the natural advance in values had greatly increased the price, so that in 1867 Woodington was able to obtain nearly $100 per acre, or $15,193. The purchaser was Albert J. Engle, coming from Shoemakertown.
Albert J. Engle was the owner till his death, occurring as long as thirty-four years afterwards. This was in 1901. He died in Cheltenham, Montgomery county, without will, and Edwin Megargee was his administrator In 1901 the children and heirs sold the house and 68 acres to Eli Vanluvanee ^^. These children were Albert, Jr., Frank, Irwin, Annette, wife of William Bines; Mary, wife of George Jackson, and Anna, widow of William Parker. The property is over a mile southward of Furlong.
E. M.
Another Part of the Great Rodman Tract and Its Interesting History - Wynkoop McNair, James Gifford, William Randall and Other Owners.
