Hendrick Island
Encyclopedia
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Once part of the main shoreline, a sizable channel of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
now separates it from the rest of the state. The island is part of Solebury Township
Solebury Township, Pennsylvania
Solebury Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,692 at the 2010 census.The Solebury School is located in the township, off U.S...
and a protected natural area within Delaware Canal State Park
Delaware Canal State Park
Delaware Canal State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Bucks and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The main attraction of the park is the Delaware Canal, which at is the only canal that remains fully intact from the towpath canal-building days of the 19th century...
.
Geography
Hendrick Island is located at the beginning of a turn in the Delaware River north of New Hope, PennsylvaniaNew Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
. Unlike most islands in the Delaware, it was once connected to the mainland of Pennsylvania. Since then, three channels in the river have formed in the area: one between Pennsylvania and Hendrick Island, the main channel between Hendrick Island and Eagle Island to the east, and another channel between Eagle Island and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The 112 acres (45.3 ha) island supports a large deciduous forest, despite its somewhat sandy soil. Wildlife includes deer, which occasionally swim to the island from Pennsylvania; and squirrels. The shoreline is generally rocky, especially along the eastern coast and northern tip, and populated by several species of fish and water snakes. The more recently formed western coast is more irregular and less rocky than the eastern. The island tapers to another rocky point at its southern end, three-quarters of a mile downstream from the northern point.
Also uncommon among the islands of the Delaware, Hendrick Island has quite varied topography. The center of the island is about 15 feet (4.6 m) above the normal height of the river. As a result, there are two distinct ecological areas on the island: a flat, frequently submerged riparian habitat along the shore and a deciduous forest habitat farther inland typical of the terrain in the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Accessibility and Recreation
Hendrick Island is a protected natural area within Pennsylvania's Delaware Canal State ParkDelaware Canal State Park
Delaware Canal State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Bucks and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The main attraction of the park is the Delaware Canal, which at is the only canal that remains fully intact from the towpath canal-building days of the 19th century...
. As such, people are encouraged to visit during the day, but camping is prohibited.
The only ways to the island are swimming or boating. Canoeists and kayakers have the option of launching from a small parking lot maintained by the Pennsylvania State Park Service adjacent to the north point of the island or from Bull's Island recreational area roughly one mile (1.6 km) upstream on the New Jersey shore of the river. A public boat launch several miles downstream in Lambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...
makes a convenient place to take out a boat. Any unpowered boats launched from the parking lot on the Pennsylvania side require a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. Larger boats should not attempt to approach the island's rocky shore line. Boaters passing by the area of the island are best off going through the far eastern channel of the river between Eagle Island and New Jersey; the other two channels are frequently too shallow for safe passage.
The shoreline of the island constantly changes with the level of the river, so there is no one consistent best spot for landings, but the northern part of the western coast is generally the most favorable area. In low water conditions, it is often much easier to wade to the island from the Pennsylvania shore than attempt to boat over.
History
From the 18th century until 1866, the island had various names, changing with each new owner. In that year, it was bought by Mr. John Hendrick, a local farmer. It stayed in the family for three decades, and supposedly his son and daughter-in-law lived with their child in a house on the island some time during this period. Since then, despite continued changes in ownership, the name Hendrick Island has persisted. No confirmed traces of the Hendrick household remain, though there are what appear the be the foundations of a few destroyed buildings on the southern half of the island.In 1955 the island was bought by PECO Energy, which was interested in constructing a hydroelectric power plant. However, the site was never developed and in 1996 the island was bought by the Bucks County Heritage Conservancy. Currently it is managed by the Pennsylvania Department of the Conservation of Natural Resources as a natural area within Delaware Canal State Park.
