is a historic 41 Mi (66 Km ) long road in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania , connecting Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania . It began as a Native American path called the Minsi Trail which evolved into a Colonial highway called the King's Road in the 1760s. Most of the route would later become part of U.S. Route 309 , now Pennsylvania Route 309 .
The Bethlehem Pike originated from a Native American pathway known as the Minsi Trail. Named after the Minsi Indians , the trail was routed between the Blue Mountains and the lands to the south.2 In December of 1740, David Nitschman and his party went to Bethlehem and Nazareth along this trail. A year later, a second party joined the first, traversing the same pathway. Count Zinzendorf , was included in the second party who visited the pioneers in the cabin along the banks of the Monocacy Creek . On Christmas Eve, Zinzendorf maintained a famous love-feast service, which led to the settlement of Bethlehem.3
After the discovery of Bethlehem , a number of settlements began to rise along the route, causing a constant use of it and the highway to be called King's Road. The first trip made by George Klein was Stage Wagon on September 10 , 1763 . He later made regular trips between Philadelphia and Bethlehem on a weekly basis. He started on Mondays from the Sun Inn in Bethlehem, and returned from the King Of Prussia Inn in Philadelphia , on Thursdays. Bethlehem Pike and Germantown Avenue were the first two segments of the King's Highway, the main road carrying passengers and their goods between Philadelphia and the north.4
In the northern regions of Philadelphia, the pike intersected the Old York Road . According to a legend, Tammany , the great Indian chief, presented all lands within the young Germans' vision. Following the gift they received from the natives, they concluded the ritual, the sun rose, and the men named the spot Rising Sun. During the Revoluntionary War , British officers gathered near the southern terminus of the modern day pike. They gathered in the days their army faced the Colonials at Whitemarsh . Further north along the route in the Whitemarsh Valley is the site where George Washington held Howe at bay, thus becoming famous in history as Church Hill . Before heading to Valley Forge , Washington and his army encamped here on December 11 , 1777 .
During the revolution, the pike delt with a busy time period, for Bethlehem was crowded with officers, prisoners, and soldiers from the war. There was great excitement in Bethlehem on September 13 , 1777 , when the Patriot Army retreated from Philadelphia . Later, a letter had arrived by express courier from David Rittenhouse , announcing that all the military stores, in 700 wagons, were sent north on the Bethlehem Pike. Even the church and state bells were sent over for safekeeping on the pike. In Bethlehem, the wagon carrying the Liberty Bell broke down. The bells had to be unloaded on September 25 , 1777 . Eventually the wagon was repaired and they were sent to Allentown , where it was hidden from danger on Hamilton Street. The road traverses Rockhill Township, where the New Jersey and Pennsylvania armies listened to Richard Peters in 1799, a member of the Colonial Assembly . They camped at Seller's Tavern, today known as Sellersville .
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Philadelphia
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Philadelphia
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decomd
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000
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US 422 24
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Germantown Pike
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Former segment of US 422
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Montgomery
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8
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Whitemarsh Township
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3
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mplex
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307
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PA 73 25
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Church Road
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Southern terminus of overlap
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mplex
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327
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PA 73
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East Skippack Pike
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Northern terminus of overlap
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noaccess
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366
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I-276 / PA Tpk
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Bethlehem Pike passes under I-276/PA Turnpike
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Fort Washington
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decomd
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485
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PA 731
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Pennsylvania Avenue
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Former segment of PA 731
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Lower Gwynedd Township
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2
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898
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PA 309 26
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Fort Washington Expressway
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Interchange Bethlehem Pike becomes PA 309 north of this junction
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Montgomeryville
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2
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mplex
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1158
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US 202
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Southern terminus of overlap Former segment of US 122
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mplex
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1247
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US 202
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Northern terminus of overlap Former segment of US 122
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Bucks
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8
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Hilltown Township
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2
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1156
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PA 309 28
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Interchange Bethlehem Pike becomes SR 4013 north of this junction
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Sellersville
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3
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mplex
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2051
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PA 152 30
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Southern terminus of overlap
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mplex
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2136
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PA 152
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Northern terminus of overlap Former segment of PA 413
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decomd
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2163
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PA 813
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Former segment of PA 813
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2508
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PA 309 32
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Interchange Bethlehem Pike becomes PA 309 north of this junction
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Quakertown
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2807
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PA 313 <br /> PA 663 33
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Western terminus of PA 313 Northern terminus of PA 663
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Lehigh
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Center Valley
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3441
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PA 309 <br /> PA 378
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Bethlehem Pike becomes PA 378 north of this junction Southern terminus of PA 378 Former segment of PA 312
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Northampton
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4
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Lower Saucon Township
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noaccess
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3760
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I-78
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PA 378 passes under I-78
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Bethlehem
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3
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4007
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PA 412 34
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Broadway
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Northern terminus of PA 412 Former segment of PA 43
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4043
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PA 378 /Main Street
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Bethlehem Pike becomes Main Street north of this junction
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4112
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Sun Inn Preservation on Main Street
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