GRACIOUS COUNTRY HOSPITALITY -
A JAMISON FAMILY TRADITION

The late Earl Hart Jamison, founder and creator of Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Pennsylvania had only to travel a few miles from his home to the small historic towns that today still bear family names such as Jamison and Hartsville. According to several sources, including the book The Jamesons in America (the name has been spelled various ways), the Jamisons emigrated from Scotland and Ireland, settling in the hamlets and farming villages of eastern Pennsylvania and Bucks County.

The Jamison family tradition of hospitality can be traced back to 1763 when Henry Jamison opened a tavern in Centreville along the Buckingham Township stagecoach line. The tavern, known as "Jamison's", thrived as a welcome respite for weary travelers between Philadelphia and New York and played a role in the early development of this young nation.

Henry Jamison's tavern is now known as the General Greene Inn, named after Nathaniel Greene, who commanded the left wing of General Washington's army during the Battle of Trenton. The inn takes its place in history as the site at which - during the frigid winter of 1776 - sixteen Durham boats and flats were ordered down to McConkey's Ferry. From there, George Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day.

Years earlier, Henry's mother, Jenny Blackburn Jamison, survived a harrowing trip to the New World. She was shipwrecked with her father on Bermuda for months before obtaining safe passage to Philadelphia. Two centuries later, the Jamison family immortalized her name in Jenny's Restaurant of Peddler's Village, which operated from 1975 to 2004.

Henry's love of inn keeping and serving the public passed down through the generations to Earl Jamison who in November 1989, opened the Golden Plough Inn, a country inn just a mile from the site of Henry's inn. The opening of the Golden Plough Inn was a milestone on the road to fulfillment of Earl Jamison's dream - a dream that began in the early 1960s when he and his young family opened Bountiful Acres, the well-known garden center in Buckingham.

On a trip to California, Earl was inspired by the quaint and picturesque village of Carmel, which served as the model for his shopping and dining complex called Peddler's Village, located at the crossroads of Routes 202, 263 and Street Road in Lahaska.

He founded Peddler's Village in 1962 on six acres of property once known as Hentown. The property had housed a chicken hatchery, a barn and chicken coops. Earl transformed them into 14 shops and the Cock 'n Bull Restaurant. The buildings, nestled amid winding brick pathways and award-winning gardens designed by Earl, reflected the architectural style of colonial America, a style he maintained consistently.

Peddler's Village has grown to become one of the premier attractions in Bucks County. Today, the 42-acre site boasts 70 unique specialty shops, six restaurants, the 70-room luxurious Golden Plough Inn, and Giggleberry Fair, a family entertainment center featuring an antique operating carousel. Free special events and seasonal festivals draw nearly 3 million visitors to Peddler's Village annually. The complex has become a sought-after site for weddings, holiday parties, reunions, retirement parties, picnics, and corporate meetings.

The Cock 'n Bull has continued to serve as the flagship restaurant for more than four decades, offering hearty American fare in rooms richly appointed with Colonial-style decor, and with the Jamison Family's private collection of fine art and antiques adorning the walls. Patrons love the traditional favorites such as Country Chicken Pot Pye and Beef Burgundy.

Additional highlights include the weekly Murder Mystery Dinner Theater held Friday and Saturday evenings in Peddler's Pub, bountiful Sunday Buffet Brunch at the Cock 'n Bull Restaurant (featured on The TV Food Network), a buffet-style seafood extravaganza known as King Henry's Feast offered Thursday nights in the Cock 'n Bull Restaurant, and the always popular Evening in the Colonial Kitchen, with cooking demonstrations and Colonial-style fare, presented Mondays during the winter in the Cock 'n Bull.

For making his vision a reality, Earl Jamison received numerous business and community awards. His award-winning gardens, home and business ventures have been the subject of television segments such as QVC's Pennsylvania Week and The TV Food Network. Feature articles have also appeared in Architectural Digest, Country Home, and Country Inns magazines as well as Time-Life Books. In 2002, the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce honored Earl with a Lifetime Achievement Award - Ambassador of Bucks. Earl Jamison passed away in June of 2003.

From a simple roadside country market to a multifaceted village of fine shops, elegant dining, luxurious lodging, and family-friendly entertainment, one common thread was woven throughout Earl Jamison's tapestry of dreams - a commitment to carry on a tradition of excellence in caring service and country hospitality.