Events: The 2019 Rapha Festive 500 Day Three
Ride Distance: 41 Miles/ 221 Miles Remain
(2019) The route was planned and ready to unpack until a child-voice stated, “Don’t go on River Road.” As someone who has acknowledged superstitions, a comment such as this was taken as an omen and the route was altered. Today I was looking for William Keath’s House on Eagle Road, the abode General George Washington departed after feeling the homeowner was eavesdropping on his plans to float the Delaware and invade Trenton. It’s a house that does not show up on research, yet I was determined to find it. River Road was necessary to access it, but that was changed.
General Washington, a man of 43 years of age, had the weight of a new nation on his shoulders. His men were seeking reasons to reenlist; the terms of enlistment were about to expire and Washington needed a morale booster. He devised a plan that involved three separate river crossings to converge on the Hessian stronghold of Trenton, NJ. South of Jericho ‘Mountain’ General Washington felt uneasy about William Keath’s questions and decided to relocate to Sam Merrick’s house. The question was, ‘Where was the Keath House?’
Day two of the Festive 500 was the typical wash. The Rapha event challenging cyclists to ride 500 kilometers in eight days took the typical respite for friends, family, and merriment. To attempt the Festive 500 in seven days requires an average ride distance of nearly 45 miles. In a solo ride I struck out to find the Keath House.
Percentagewise, I accessed Eagle Road, a curious causeway that eventually led to Newtown, PA. It is a road that regular pops up in the search for houses General Washington slept in. Local historian Carl LaVo stated Washington located himself to a house south of Jericho Mountain, land I was riding, yet I was unable to locate an abode bragging of such history. What I stumbled upon was General Sullivan’s Headquarters on Eagle Road, proving further elusive information.
The hazy late December atmosphere meant the low sun dished out concerns of squinting motorists not on the lookout for cyclists. Regular strands of roadway were wet with humidity, creating blinding reflection. Clouds of salt coated the mouth each time cars passed. The December cyclist’s head is on a swivel from start to finish. Trying to find an obscure headquarters only made the search more difficult.
I did not access River Road on account of the soothsayer warning. I did roll down ancient Bucks County roads, witnessing braggart driveway signs indicating earlier and earlier homestead establishment dates. To plunge into the southeastern portion of Bucks County is to walk back into time. Some places pose historic; southeastern Bucks County is historic.
The intersection of Wrightstown and Eagle Road was the turn-around location. Any farther welcomed the concern of returning in darkness. The weather report may have hinted at 4:30 sunset, but the horizon promised sooner. I was not in the business of testing whether I could return later. I came back in a parallel fashion, bordering on old land and new-old land. To the right was colonial structures; to the left was post-colonial structures. The divide was thick and obvious.
I may not have found the nosy Willaim Keath House but after finding photos online I may have a good idea of where to find it. With an eye to riding to Summerseat in Morrisville, PA, I may ride past it in the wintry saddle of a bike. A ride of such exuberance will cross the first and second houses General George Washinton will have slept at in Bucks County during the winter of 1776. With one house accounted for, I am relieved to know where several of George Washington’s boards are. Some are no longer present, thus can be removed from the list. That does not act as a deterrence. To explore the places the General slept is to peek into history, especially at a coinciding time in history. Of course none of it was accessed by rolling on River Road.
