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HISTORY
The Church
The Dutch Reformed Church of Bushkill was built in 1874 replacing an earlier
structure. The church grew from missionary work done in 1737 in which year
Rev. George Mancius of Kingston
organized Dutch Reformed Churches in the Minisink area. The first church
building, which was begun in 1832 on a lot donated by Henry Peters, cost
about two thousand dollars. The present structure, built in 1874, cost
$5,300. The church is now occupied by Bushkill Outreach and the
congregation built a new church on Rte. 209.
The Community House
Another interesting building, once served as the Old Pine
Ridge Church
located on Bushkill Falls Road.
It was moved to the Village
of Bushkill where it
functioned as a library and a schoolhouse. Later, the Riedmiller Brothers
constructed a stone foundation under the building, at which time it became
the Bushkill Firehouse. The property is currently owned by the Federal Park
System.
Schools
The first school, according to Simeone Schoonover, was on top of Hog Back
Hill. It was made of logs and one side had tumbled down. Sheep often came
in and had to be chased out by the children. In 1886 the listed schools in Lehman Township were Hemlock Grove,
Brodhead, Schuyler's Meadow Brook, Pine Ridge Barn Timber and Bushkill.
The last one room school in the township, the Pigeon Roost
School, still stands
at the intersection of the Briscoe
Mountain Road and Factory Road.
Post Office
Toward the end of the 18th Century growth began in the area. John Heller
opened a log tavern with a brown jug for a sign and Henry Peters, a
merchant, was appointed the first postmaster in 1812.
The Township
Lehman Township has been an established community since 1829.
It is a residential community with beautiful scenery, surrounded by the
Delaware National Park Service. The Township lies between Porter, Middle
Smithfield and Delaware
Townships. It is the
home of the famous Bushkill
Falls.
Listed on the tax rolls for Upper
Smithfield Township
in 1815 was Joseph Leighman, paying 55 cents on 442 acres. In 1824 his name
was spelled Leaman and by 1832 it was Lehman. The Township is approximately
48.9 square miles or approximately 31,296 acres.
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The Township has a nice park with a beautiful play
area. The ballfield can be reserved for fun and recreation during normal
business hours by filling out a form with the Township office.
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The Pavilion can be reserved by registering with the
Township office.
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The Municipal
Building
Located on Municipal Drive
in Bushkill, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. The phone number is
(570)588-9365.
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