Historic places to visit
George Washington is probably the single most historic figure for this entire area. From Valley Forge to Washingtons Crossing the Delaware on Christmas Eve 1776 to his presidential home at Sixth and Market Streets in Philadelphia, you can learn more about this man around here more than just about anywhere. Also in Philadelphia, you can visit the new Museum of the American Revolution, which opened in April, 2017.
New Hope history goes back to before these events. The Lenni-Lenape Native Americans were the original occupants until William Penn was given 1,000 acres from King Charles II to repay a debt. It was then called Penn's Woods.
Fast forward to 1722 when John Wells established a ferry service across the Delaware River at the midpoint between New York and Philadelphia. That's when New Hope got it's first moniker: Wells Ferry. Shortly after, the Ferry Tavern was built, which is now Logan's Inn on Main Street.
The Parry Mansion on Main Street in New Hope has an excellent free tour
you can learn even more of that era.
The full story on how the town got its current name is a fascinating look back and can be found here. Here's how you can learn more about the Delaware Canal that runs through New Hope.
Other historic points of interest around the area include Bowman's Tower, built 1929-31 to commemorate what some thought was a lookout point for Washington’s troops. (Historians consider that explanation to be more oral tradition than documented fact.) Whatever the belief or facts, it offers the most amazing views in the area.
In Quakertown, there's a spot where the Liberty Bell rested on its way from Philadelphia to Allentown in Sept. 1777. Just after the Battle of the Brandywine in Delaware, British troops invaded and captured Philadelphia. To protect the bell from also being captured and subsequently melted for ammunition it was quietly taken away during the night to save it along with several others.
Here is the location of an excellent comprehensive Bucks County time line.