Today I am driving through a village most of my readers are familiar with, Weaversville, in East Allen Township.

Before the name Weaversville appeared, it was part of the Craig settlement when the first group of Scotch-Irish immigrants settled there in 1728, making the area the first settlement in Northampton County.

According to tradition, Weaversville was the center of the Scotch-Irish settlement because of a fine spring found there.

After the American Revolution, a number of Scotch-Irish families moved westward to once again open new territory to settlement.

Soon, a migration of Germans came to the area.

Most were farmers, so the fertile soil of the area was a major reason they settled here.

They decided to make much of East Allen Township and Northampton County their permanent home.

Soon, their sturdy stone homes and large barns covered the landscape.

One of these settlers was Samuel Weaver, who became a prominent citizen in the village.

He married the daughter of John Hays, one of the original Scotch-Irish settlers, who owned what is now the Weaversville Inn.

Weaver was named postmaster of the first post office, established in 1831. Weaversville is, therefore, named in honor of Samuel Weaver.

He was both a successful businessman and property owner.

The village was home to a physician, school, blacksmith, church, lumber mill, grist mill and general country store.

The village was also the site of a unique school, the Weaversville Academy. The school was constructed in 1840 and provided a classical education for the students.

Parents paid tuition and the school attracted students, many from considerable distances. Many came when horses and buggies were the main mode of transportation.

Some boarded at the school, which hosted an enrollment of over 100 students. It was open to both girls and boys.

The school thrived for many years, but soon modern transportation, especially the railroad, allowed students to travel to other educational institutions.

In 1902, the Northampton-Bath Railroad was constructed. The railroad ran through Weaversville and connected with the Lehigh-New England in Bath and the New Jersey Central in Northampton.

After 62 years, the academy closed, ending an era of education in the village.

The original structure still remains. It later served as a store and is presently an apartment building.

The teachers and students are all gone, and the faint memories of a village academy have faded into history.

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See you again in two weeks. We'll be visiting our neighbors in Allen Township.