William Doyle

Doylestown is named after the Doyle family. The Doyle family originally came from France (their name was D'ouilli at that time), but moved to Ireland during the Inquisition. Around 1600 their name was changed to D'oyley and later it was changed again to Doyle. Edward Doyle sailed to America in 1640 and lived in Rhode Island for a time until he then moved to Bucks County after receiving a land grant from William Penn in 1692. He died in 1703.

Edward Doyle's children remained in Bucks County and settled in the area of Doylestown. In 1730 Edward Doyle Junior (born 1690) bought 150 acres of land in what is now Doylestown. Further land purchases were made in the area by the Doyle family in 1737. The Doyles built an inn in 1745 and the town was known early on as "William Doyl's Tavern" and "Doyle's Town." In 1752 a second tavern was built, which still stands today (although modified from its original state). In 1776 the inn was sold by William Doyle (born in 1712, son of Edward Doyle Junior), who moved to Plumstead, Bucks County, where he died in 1780. After the sale of the tavern the town became known by its present name. More information can be found accompanying the picture of the tavern, below.

George Washington and his Continental army camped in the Doylestown area in June, 1778, on their way from Valley Forge to fight the British fleeing Philadelphia for New York. Doylestown was made the county seat in 1813.

The Fountain House was one of seven taverns constructed in the mid-18th century by William Doyle, the founder of Doylestown. The first part of the building was constructed in 1758. Owned by a Tory during the American Revolutionary War, it was seized by government authorities and sold by auction. Throughout the 19th century, The Fountain House hosted, in addition to a tavern, the first Doylestown post office, and a stagecoach line connecting Philadelphia and Easton. The Fountain House was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Sources:

• http://www.davidhanauer.com/buckscounty/doylestown/index.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountain_House_%28Doylestown,_Penn...