My interest in the abandoned village of Egypt Mills began when family history research led me to look for the Valley View, or Swartwood, Cemetery not far down the road on Route 209 in Bushkill, Lehman Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania. According to information provided by the National Park Service, the land was settled in the late 18th century, with a 1776 land purchase by William Nyce; their leaflet makes reference to the Nyce family farm and a postcard from a once well-known Hunting Club but the village was small, prosperous and filled with lively cast of characters who would call this place home.
My project began out of curiosity; following the Tom’s Creek trail out towards Landis lake and wanting to know more about the remains of what I discovered, and the surrounding area between Little Egypt and Big Egypt Roads — remains of stone foundations and wools, mill runs, and steel tools. I began to photograph my surroundings and mark the GPS coordinates of each location. Then I pinpointed every location on Google Earth and added an overlay of old 1872 map of Lehman Township to identify what these structures may have been and to whom they belonged.
Continue to follow as explore each structure, the remains of the village, its current natural beauty and its lively history.
