Newtown Historic District (Boundary Increase: North and South Extensions)
Also known as: See Also:Newton Historic District
Why it's listed
Newtown Borough, in Bucks County, contains two residential and industrial additions to the town's existing historic district, lying east of the original Newtown Common. Most of the roughly 140 buildings are frame houses of two and a half stories built between the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Queen Anne and Gothic Revival styles predominate, with turned porch posts, round turrets, cross gables and scroll-work cornices on several houses. Italianate brick houses on South Chancellor Street, built in 1870, and a Colonial Revival house on North Chancellor Street are also present. Firman's Block, a row of frame houses at North Lincoln Avenue, was built about 1872 by carpenter Joseph Firman. The South Extension includes a brick factory of 1884 on South State Street, later used by the U.S. Bobbin and Shuttle Company, which employed forty-two men in 1919. The extensions are regarded as a coherent collection of this later architecture, and the South Extension's factories represent Newtown's industrial growth.
Significance in brief: The homes in the extensions are argued to be an outstanding collection of later nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture, similar in style to dwellings in the existing district. The South Extension is significant for a small industrial section, including a brick factory built in 1884 that was used by the U.S. Bobbin and Shuttle Company, representing Newtown's industrial growth. The extensions document the eastward expansion of the town beyond the Newtown Common.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86002867, listed October 28, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Parts of Congress, Chancellor and Liberty Sts. N of Washington Ave. and Chancellor St. S of Penn St. to S. State St., Newtown |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | October 28, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002867 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1683-1935 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Gothic Revival; Italianate; Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 45.6 |
| Within district | Newtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.22811, -74.93269 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86002867.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7020726
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.