Andalusia, Pennsylvania - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

ANDALUSIA, 17.5 m. (37 alt., 1,200 pop.), named for the distinguished mansion overlooking the Delaware (see below), occupies the site of a Neshaminy Indian village; here (L) are the 40-acre Michell Nurseries (flora displays Apr-Oct.). --- Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940; page 421

From its southern boundary at Frankford Road over the historic Frankford Bridge all the way down the Bristol Pike to Cornwell Heights, this small but important town has quite a history dating back to pre-Revolutionary War and has many interesting sites to visit as well. There are many old structures as well as several historic markers and a few NRHP sites to boot.

The main drag is called Bristol Pike. This was the only road I visited as all the action seemed to be right there. The road actually starts in Philadelphia and goes right through this town, continuing into Bucks County. Originally called the King's Highway, its origins can be traced back to 1792. There are original milestones still around; I found two of the in my exploration. The road is also called Frankford Avenue and Route 13, but, its all the same, history on asphalt.

At one time Andalusia covered all the area from the Poquessing Creek to the corner of Bristol Pike and Hulmeville Road. The creek was the boundary between Philadelphia and Bucks counties, making Andalusia an ideal stopping place for many of the famous names in history. The Red Lion Inn, located just over the county line on the King's Highway (now Bristol Pike), provided food and lodging for travelers enroute to New York.

The town took its name from the country estate of the Biddle family on the Delaware River. It was given the name Andalusia by John Craig, who built the mansion in 1794. Craig's daughter Jane married Nicholas Biddle in 1811 and the property has been in the Biddle family since that time. Their home is an NRHP site but you need to call ahead and make an appointment if you want to visit it.

The good folks at Wiki tell me: Today, Andalusia is a middle class suburb, mainly typical of the area. Its grid-style streets contain small single-family homes that date back to the 1920s. Andalusia is also home to many historic buildings, some dating back to the early Nineteenth Century, owned and inhabited by some of Philadelphia's wealthiest families. Architectural styles include Gothic Revival, Romanesque, and Greek Revival. The neighborhood's main thoroughfare, Bristol Pike (US Rt 13, formerly Kings Highway), reveals various homes and churches that have been preserved, while the most esteemed buildings, including Biddle's estate, the Pen Ryn mansion, and State in Schuylkill, are hidden along the banks of the Delaware. Saint Katharine Drexel is buried at the Katharine Drexel Shrine, which is also in the area on Bristol Pike.