He gave the town its name when he named the mill along the Delaware River “New Hope” after he rebuilt it following a disastrous fire in 1790.
Part of that mill exists today as the Bucks County Playhouse.
Later he led local businessmen on both sides of the river to have the first bridge built linking the New Hope and Lambertville communities, and establish the first commercial banks in each town.
His patented invention that preserved corn and grain for long-distance shipping buoyed the local and regional economies.
He was Benjamin Parry. His entrepreneurship and his nearly half century as a dominant community leader helped make New Hope the industrial and manufacturing capitol of Bucks County in the 19th century.
At its Feb. 19 meeting, the New Hope Borough Council proclaimed March 3 as “Benjamin Parry Day” in New Hope to honor his numerous contributions to the development of the community.
The New Hope Historical Society will open the Parry Mansion, 45 S. Main St., for complimentary tours from 1-5 p.m.
A video tracing Mr. Parry’s life and achievements will be shown every half hour — beginning at 1:30 p.m.
A special walking tour at 2 p.m. will trace Mr. Parry’s career in New Hope from the early 1780s until his death in 1839.

