The Tyson family farmed this homestead for roughly 200 years, starting in 1714. Reyneir Tyson was the head of one of the original thirteen families to settle Germantown in 1683. In 1700, Reyneir purchased land in Abington Township. Over subsequent decades, his descendents settled much of Abington. Today, the oldest marked grave in Abington Friends Cemetery belongs to Abraham Tyson, the fifth of Reyneir’s nine children. After five generations, the family tree goes on to include President Roosevelt. Also noteworthy, the Tyson family limekilns furnished lime for the mortar used to build the State House in Philadelphia. Of course, the State House would later come to be known as Independence Hall. The Tyson family lived in the manor house, currently known as the Tyson House, for generations. They farmed the land until the 20th century, when the homestead was divided to help form the community here today.