School History

Mill Creek Elementary School borders a tributary of the Mill Creek, less than one-mile northeast of the original Mill Creek School, which closed in 1950. Opening in September 2000, the new Mill Creek is located on the Frank Shutt farm purchased by the Central Bucks School District for future school construction in 1969. The balance of the Shutt Farm is the site of the Central Bucks South High School scheduled to open in 2005.

Like its sister school, Groveland Elementary School, Mill Creek was designed by Diseroad, Wolff, Kelly, Clough, Bucher, Inc.  The design incorporated recommendations from administrators and from the staffs' of our most recently built elementary schools, Cold Spring Elementary and Jamison Elementary. The school features a centrally located library-media center, an outdoor amphitheater/courtyard, a full-sized gymnasium for school and community use, full access to the Internet in all instructional rooms, and a separate kindergarten center with its own parent drop-off/pick-up loop.

Principal, Mr. Leonard H. Schwartz, and his staff of more than 75 teachers and support staff opened on September 3, 2000 with approximately 1,000 students. Ms. Amanda M. Mumford, Assistant Principal, joined the administrative team in the spring of 2003.
 

Warrington Township first became a legal entity in October 1734 when an Order of the Court decreed that it "shall be called Warrington." The then new Township was named after Warrington a town in Lancashire, England, and remained a wilderness for some years after other townships in the South and East became well settled, The early landowners were all non-residents with some of the first early settlers being Scotch Irish. Sir William Keith. Pennís lieutenant Governor, established his baronial home at Graeme Park, a 1200 acre tract along County Line, a small part of which extended into Warrington Township. The mansion, built in 1721-22. can still be seen as conspicuous structure of colonial architecture, several hundred yards from County line Road.

The Warrington of today is a populous, flourishing Township but, at one time, it was divided into the four villages: Eureka. Neshaminy, Tradesville, and Wamington. These villages, whose boundaries were never clearly defined are now joined together into one single community. A short history of each village follows:

VILLAGE OF TRADESVILLE

This village was located in the western portion of the Township, generally surrounding the intersection of Bristol and Lower State Roads on the Doylestown-Warnngton Township lines. The village was first known as Stuckerts Corner, so called from the name of an early storekeeper. In 1854, for a reason now unknown. the name was changed to Tradesville.

A post office was established December 7. 1881 with L W. Walton as postmaster. The office was discontinued before 1914 and the mail is now supplied by rural delivery from Chalfont. The Mill Creek School (now the Warrington Township Facilities Building), was used as a school for children in this area up until the time of the building of Titus Elementary School on Lower Barness Road in 1950.

VILLAGE OF WARRINGTON

The village of Warrington was located at the intersection of the Old Doylestown-Willow Grove Turnpike Easton Road) and Bristol Roads. As mentioned above it was first established in 1734. As early as 1757, a public house (now Warrington Inn), was opened by John Craig and the village was known for many years as Craig's Tavern. It was also called Newville, but at what period this name came into use is uncertain, however, it was listed in the Gordonís Gazetteer of Pennsylvania in 1332 as Newville.

A post office was established December 3. 1839 with Benjamin Hough. Jr. being the first post. master. Although the post office name was Warrington, this was not yet recognized as the village name. In 1842, Francis Guemey Lukens was the hotel proprietor and for some time before and after that date the place was named Lukens Corner. The names Lukens Corner and Newville were probably used interchangeably for many years. In 1860 it was called Warringtonville to distinguish at from Neshaminy then called Warrington Square,. The -ville was finally dropped and it became Warrington.

One of  Warrington's most distinguished residents was Judge John Barclay. a man of many accomplishments. He was born January 22. 1749, the son of Margaret and James Barclay. Margaret being the daughter of Thomas Craig of Warrington. He spent his early years as a resident of Springfield Township. In 1775, he joined the Continental Army, was commissioned as ensign on January 8. 1776, and served as a lieutenant in Captain John Lacyís company during the Revolution and retired from the army on January 1, 1731 with the rank of Captain.

John Barclay was commissioned a Justice of the Peace from Bucks County December 13, 1732. He was appointed President Judge of the Bucks County Courts on June 27. 1739. In 1790, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, which met at Philadelphia. He served as mayor of Philadelphia in the year 1791.

John Barclay was one of the founders of the Insurance Company of North America when it was organized on December 10. 1792. He served as a director through 1793, the year he moved back to Bucks County.

Judge Barclay has a great love for Warrington, home his ancestors, and in 1799 he built the fine brownstone mansion at the crossroads with the intention of spending the rest of his days there. The death of his wife in 1803 changed his plans and he sold the Warrington mansion to Benjamin Hough. Jr., and returned to Philadelphia.

The Houghs owned the mansion for fifty-one years and it was during this time that Benjamin Hough. Jr. became the first Warrington Postmaster. General Ulysses S. Grant visited the great mansion several times while his great uncle Benjamin Hough owned it. In 1856, it was sold to the Radcliffe family and in 1963 the Hatboro Federal Savings and Loan Association bought it for use as a branch office.