This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Viewfinder: A Historical Gem in Richboro

Each week, Northampton Patch will provide you with a little glimpse into what's going on around town, some lesser-traveled destinations and the sweet spots that the community is proud of.

If you’ve ever driven along Almshouse Road through Richboro you’ve passed by a real historical gem, and you may have not even noticed it.  At the corner of Temperane Lane and Almshouse Road, behind a screen of trees  lies the Union Cemetery at Addisville.

The cemetery was instituted on April 30, 1885,  by the The Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the State of Pennsylvania, in what was known then as Addisville.  They believed there was a need for a non-sectarian cemetery in the area, and it remains so today.

The following is stated on an application to the Court of Common Pleas, of Bucks County in 1859:  “This Cemetery is eligibly situated in the township of Northampton, distant a quarter of a mile from Addisville, fronting on Hatboro road. It contains near eight acres of handsomely improved land formerly owned by Joseph Addis. It is a desirably located on a rising ridge of ground sloping to the south, and commanding a beautiful and extended view of the surrounding country for the distance of many miles.”

Find out what's happening in Northamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It’s fascinating to walk through the cemetery and look at the various types of headstones and monuments from the 1800s to the present.  You’ll see monuments both plain and grand, inscribed with the names, among others, of several members of the Addis family. The years have degraded many of the inscriptions on the older monuments, making their historical significance all the more valuable.  It’s obvious from the names and types of headstones and monuments that there is a great deal of diversity in this cemetery, which is what the founders had intended.

Included here are several of the more interesting headstones and monuments.  A walk through this historic site is a worthwhile experience that will give you a real sense of both our early, and ongoing community.

Find out what's happening in Northamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?