The Coryell House (AKA, Havana)

A notable structure in New Hope with a most interesting history is located at 105 S. Main Street, now housing Havana restaurant, bar, and concert venue. This location is said to have been the home of John Coryell (1730-1799) in the mid 1700’s. John was the son of early ferry operator Emmanuel Coryell who died in 1748 and willed the New Jersey side of the ferry to his son, Abraham. In 1764 Abraham’s brother John Coryell bought the ferry rights on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River from John Wells. At the time of the American Revolution, both sides of the river were known as Coryell’s Ferry. 

 

New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) Beyond the Door volunteers recently met with Havana owner, Mark Stevens, who provided a tour and information on the recent history of the property. A review of records in the NHHS archives provided additional relevant insight, as did literature including A Hot Bed of Secession: New Hope and the Civil War by Joseph F. DiPaolo, and History of Bucks County by William Watts Hart Davis. 

 

The portion of the building that is to the rear or west of the structure underwent some construction in recent years and Mr. Stevens reports that wooden pegs serving as nails were discovered there. That is suggestive that this is an older section, perhaps dating to the days of John Coryell. When viewing the structure from the street, the part of the building that rises three stories on the northern end was likely built in the mid-1830s by Daniel Parry, younger brother of the mill owner Benjamin Parry, known as "the father of New Hope". It was then purchased by Lewis Slate Coryell (1788-1865), grandson of John Coryell. 

Lewis Slate Coryell is a very interesting character in the history of New Hope. He was born In Coryell’s Ferry (later Lambertville), NJ in 1788. NHHS archive records show he was involved in building and owning multiple New Hope properties. In addition, with Joseph Murray, Coryell had a lumber mill and was involved in the local construction of the Delaware Canal. Interestingly the canal ran through the rear of his property on Main Street making him potentially a beneficiary of canal-related funds as both a contractor and landowner. 

 

In the above-mentioned book by Joseph DiPaolo, the author notes that New Hope was “solidly democratic” in the 1860 presidential election casting only 87 of 213 votes for Abraham Lincoln. During the war, Lewis Slate Coryell was one of the Northern democrats who were not sympathetic to the Union’s prosecution of the Civil War. Coryell was twice elected to one-year terms as burgess (mayor) of New Hope during the war. When the governor of Pennsylvania called for militia recruits at the time of the threatened incursion of Lee’s troops into Gettysburg, Coryell is quoted in the local press as telling his townsmen to stay home and tend to their crops. At his last New Hope council meeting on March 3, 1864, minutes reflect he said that the war “…has assumed gigantic proportions and has afforded the administration pretext to assume for military necessity despotic rule to deprive our citizens of the benefit of our common inheritance in the constitution and protection of the laws…”

 

In the home of Lewis Slate Coryell, we find multiple period architectural elements. There are third-floor dormers, and windows are mullioned sash with small glass panes. Original front parlor floor-length windows are still evident from inside the north end of the restaurant seating area (see photos below). In addition, original molding can be seen. Recent interior modifications expanded first-floor fireplaces while incorporating their authentic stones in the expansions.


At a landing between the 2nd and 3rd floors is access to a “secret room” that legend says may have served as a hiding spot on the underground railroad. Additional legend asserts that Coryell family friend Aaron Burr hid there after his duel with Alexander Hamilton, though at this point there is no known documentation of that other than modern-day media articles. Moreover, John Coryell died in 1799, while the Burr-Hamilton duel was in 1804. Our records do not reflect who owned the property in 1804 (perhaps Daniel Parry), but Lewis Coryell did not acquire the property until 1834 and would have been only 16 in 1804 at the time of the Burr-Hamilton duel. 


Third-floor space dating to the 1830s is used as a dressing room for the Havana entertainers that have included Ray Davies of The Kinks, Dr. John, Rick Derringer, Blues Traveler, Eddie Money, Steve Forbert, Denny Laine of Wings, Robby Krieger of The Doors, and dozens of others. Signatures of multiple performers are covering the walls and ceiling of the dressing room. 

 

What was created as a residence underwent multiple modifications including modern additions to the south and west and change to commercial use in the late 1970s. Havana opened in 1978, and at various points, parts of the property were also occupied by a clothing store, a hairdresser, residential apartments, and a dentist's office. Today the entire property is occupied by Havana. 

This business has passed through the hands of several owners, with Mark Stevens arriving as a barback in 1993. He became part owner in 2002 and full owner in 2008. A founder of Havana, Joe Luccaro, remains locally active and is now an owner of the 1740 House and HollyHedge Estate. One server, Greg Lane, has worked for Havana since 1979-1980, and his boss Mark Stevens believes that may well make Greg the longest continuing working server in New Hope. Several other nearby New Hope venues opened within a few years of the founding of Havana, and approximately 50 years later all are still in operation today: Karla’s, John & Peter’s, and Fran’s. 

 

Mark reports mysterious events have occurred making him believe the property may be haunted. Such events have included lights flipping on and off on their own, and multiple office phones ringing late at night, with no one on the line upon answering. No ghosts have yet been seen or heard. 

 

NHHS archival photos show a streetside Highways of History sign calling attention to the Coryell House. That sign is no longer present and its whereabout is uncertain. Decorative grillwork that once framed the residence’s front porch has been incorporated and supplemented with matching grills around a more recent front porch-covered addition. 

 

Remarkable interior photos from 1960 augment the NHHS archives for 105 South Main Street. During our visit with Mark Stevens, he reported details of wallpaper in those photos reflect wallpaper found under paneling during recent restaurant renovations. Mrs. Ethel Grange Neale lived there from the 1930s to the 1960s. Her home was decorated in Victorian splendor including family heirlooms. 

 

Local resident and NHHS volunteer, David Newhart, recalls visiting there as a young child in the 1950s when most of South Main Street was still residential. Then Mrs. Neale would have been in her 80’s. David recalls formal gardens to the south of the home, while beyond those was the home of future NHHS member Francis Curley and family. In the photos below, note the front windows that still exist in the same location with the original framing in the restaurant today. 


Many thanks to owner Mark Stevens for his generosity in sharing his historic property with us. Also, many thanks to NHHS historian, Roy Ziegler and Board Member Bobbi Cross and her husband, Jim, for their contributions and review of this article.

 

The members of the Archives Team involved in this project are Nicole Hudson, Archivist and the following volunteers:

 

Michelle Gunnells

Sandie Mines

Tom Lyon

Tom Williams

Beyond The Door

Buttonwood Street Home was Once a Stable across Bridge Street at the Old Hip-Roof House

January 17, 2025
Buttonwood Street in New Hope is just one block north on Chestnut Street from Bridge Street. This article will focus on one home on Buttonwood, but also remark on other interesting properties nearby. The subject home on Buttonwood was once a stable located on the Bridge Street property now known as the Wedgwood Inn Bed and Breakfast. The inn is clearly visible from Buttonwood Street. At a recent visit to the property on Buttonwood the current owner related that the stable was built in 1833, and at least partially supporting that assertion was the hand-hewn post and beam construction found under the walls during modern renovations. Such construction was most common from the mid-17th to the mid-19th centuries. As stated in our earlier "Beyond the Door" article about the Wedgwood Inn, the building now housing the inn was constructed in 1870 on the stone foundation of an earlier "old hip-roof" house built in 1720. The Buttonwood property owner says the stable was moved to its current location in the 1940's or 1950's and then was used by a blacksmith, and later an upholsterer. In 1958 it was converted to a home. If the stable dates to 1833, it must have been present during the time of both the original 1720 house as well as the still extant 1870 building now housing the Wedgwood Inn. 

Parry‘s General Provisions Store

October 30, 2024
Situated directly across Main Street from New Hope Historical Society’s Parry Mansion is one of the oldest surviving buildings in New Hope, now housing several commercial ventures including Farley’s Bookshop. The New Hope Historical Society (NHHS) archives include a copy of Margaret Bye Richie’s extensive and well-documented review of historic buildings in New Hope for her 1987 academic dissertation in the University of Pennsylvania Department of American Civilization. In it, she noted that the northern portion of the building was built circa 1748 and was represented on Benjamin Parry’s 1798 map as “No. 21”, while the southern portion was built circa 1830 near the time of the canal construction. Her 1980’s conversation with local architect Donald Hedges quoted him that in 1940 a sign stating “Parry’s General Store” still hung on the building. The Parry Store was likely the first provisions store in New Hope. 

Canal-side House Pre-dates the Canal

August 2, 2024
New Hope Historical Society archives volunteers recently met with Ernie Bowman at the historic home he shares with his wife Dee Dee at 116 New Street. This home is the south side of a stone double house that was built facing east over 200 years ago, before the construction of the Delaware Canal which now borders the home in its backyard. After the canal was built and New Street was constructed the front door was changed to the west side of the house facing New Street. Due to the slope of the land towards the canal, the original second floor became the first floor entering from New Street. The original first floor was transformed into an above-ground basement with an outdoor entrance facing the canal. Ernie Bowman believes prior to the canal being built by 1834, that the future towpath near the house may have been used as a carriage path. New Hope Historical Society archives files indicate the house was likely built by Joshua Vansant. When Ernie and Dee Dee purchased the home in 1982, much of the original woodwork inside the home was intact and to this day has never been significantly altered. Although the 1983 nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places for the “New Hope Village District” lists the house as being built in 1805, during renovations of the now basement level, a penny from 1817 was discovered under the floor, perhaps indicating that as the date of construction. 
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