New Hope on the Delaware is the oldest town in Solebury township. A grant of land from William Penn to Richard Heath in 1710 included the site of the borough. There were two tracts of 500 acres each, known as the Mill Tract and the Ferry Tract. The whole of the two tracts being 1,000 acres "to hold to him the said Richard Heath, his heirs, and assigns, forever under the yearly rent of one English silver shilling for every 100 acres as on and by the said patent set forth bearing date, the second day of eleventh month 1710, and recorded in Philadelphia in Patent Book A, Volume 4."The foregoing described tracts of 1,000 acres border on the river Delaware 824 perches being 4 perches over a mile, and extending west to the Great Spring Tract nearly three miles, embracing the whole of the present borough of New Hope, and containing three of the five excellent mill sites which are on the Great Spring stream. The Great Spring, also called by the name of Logan and Ingham, three miles from New Hope, is one of the most remarkable in the State. It pours a volume of cool pure water from a ledge of limestone which bows down to the Delaware in a stream that runs several mills. It was a favorite resort of the Indians and is said to have been the birthplace of Teedyuscung. The water privileges afforded by this stream made New Hope and its immediate vicinity an important centre for mills and forges. For the consideration of the sum of £92 five hundred acres, being the north half of the 1,000 acres, were conveyed to John Wells, carpenter, of Lower Dublin township, by deed dated June 26, 1717, as recorded in the office of Bucks County.

It is related of John Wells that he met one day by the road side a young man, named William Kitchen, who was a weaver by trade, and in great distress of mind because he could get no work. He took the young man home with him and said to him, "If thou wilt stay with me, thou shalt never want." This was the beginning of a life long friendship. William Kitchen later married Rebecca Norton, a niece of John Wells, with whom they both lived.In 1721 William Kitchen purchased of John Wells a strip of land upon which he built a house on the bank of the river, as marked on the map of New Hope dated 1798. About 1719 the Pennsylvania Assembly passed an act granting John Wells the ferry for seven years. This was one of the most important ferries, being on the Lower York Road, a direct route of travel to East Jersey and New York, sharing its importance with Mitchell's Ferry, now Centre Bridge, on the Upper York Road. The Lieutenant Governor renewed his license to keep the ferry for another seven years. When this had expired John, Thomas and Richard Penn, Proprietaries and Governors of the province, granted the ferry to Wells. To quote this grant in part "Whereas John Wells of Solebury in the county of Bucks, having at considerable charge and expense erected and settled a ferry over the river Delaware, next above our Manor of Highlands, for the ready accommodation and passage of persons traveling from this province to the Jersies and New York." This was for an additional seven years to him and his heirs excluding and prohibiting all other ferries for four miles above or below. The yearly rent being 40 shillings to be paid at Pennsbury on the first day of March.The ferry was owned by Benjamin Canby in 1752. It was purchased by John Cornell in 1765 and sold to John Beaumont, of Upper Makefield, in 1782 for £90.