1 of 6
Randl Bye
2 of 6
Randl Bye
3 of 6
Randl Bye
4 of 6
Randl Bye
5 of 6
Randl Bye
6 of 6
Randl Bye
By Beth S. Buxbaum
Byecroft Farm in Holicong dates back to 1699 when Thomas Bye purchased 200 acres in a William Penn land grant. This farm has been in the Bye family for centuries; either handed down, bequeathed or sold to Bye family members. Byecroft has been home to Randl and Pattie Bye since 1993. Randl Bye is a well-known architectural photographer and a photographer for Bucks County Magazine.
As several in the Bye family have done, Randl and Pattie were living in another house on the property since 1984. Randl inherited the entire farm from his grandfather, Dr. Arthur Edwin Bye, a Quaker genealogist and local historian, through the estate monitored by his father who passed in 1993. With several books and many historical documents and accounts, this homestead’s past offers a long list of stories and personal memories. Although Randl’s father, Gerard, did not live on the property, Randl and many family members have accumulated extensive histories of Byecroft Farm. An interesting account that Randl shared, and Arthur Bye documented, was about the origins of the sign hanging at the entrance to the property. Arthur Bye documents in his ‘History of the Bye Family’ that the Buckingham Meeting House began to meet frequently at Thomas Bye’s house, Byecroft Farm, giving this house the name of “Old Congress,” which is how the original Bye homestead was known.
“This property was derelict by 1930 and was part of a sheriff’s sale when the current resident, Frank Bye, was forced to sell the property,” explained Randl. His grandfather, Arthur Edwin Bye, purchased the 110-acre property in 1931 to avoid a family bankruptcy or auction. Arthur’s daughter, Margaret, lived in this house from 1940 to 1985. She was the executor of the estate and then her brother, Gerard Bye, Randl Bye’s father, took over the estate from his sister. Randl’s father, Gerard, was 19 years old when Arthur bought the homestead in 1931. Upon Gerard Bye’s death, Randl Bye inherited the family farm. In Arthur Bye’s History of the Bye Family and some allied families, he writes that “the original homestead of the Byes in Bucks County has been occupied continuously until the present day by a Bye.” Another historical record states that Dr. Bye lived here for thirty-nine years, from 1932 to 1969.
The original farmhouse was believed to be built in the early 1700s. From that original structure there were several additions to allow for growing families and a desire to update and expand. In 1745 the first addition was built adding a living room finished with a “fancier” trim that, according to Randl, was considered to be very “posh.” The Buckingham Friends met in this room.
Randl points out that one way to identify the additions is to note the differences in the stone. As each addition was built the appearance and quality of the stone changed. He explains that the original structure was constructed with a higher quality pointed fieldstone.
A second addition, constructed in the 1820s to 1830s added a kitchen, which is now the dining room. In the early 19th century, a second floor was added to the 1700s structure, constructing a dormer and changing the roofline. “With this addition the roof was lifted and they added stonework but did not move the windows,” Randl explains, “so these windows sit higher than the windows in the original structure.” He notes that this placement of the windows on the addition was one indicator of where the additions were constructed. Other structural changes were done to several of the original bank barns on the property. During the years that Arthur Bye lived on the land he converted three of the bank barns into houses, and one functioned as Ranulph’s studio for a time. One carriage house sits on the property that was converted into Randl’s studio.
All the major structural additions were done during the farmhouse’s early years. From Randl’s accounting there was little evidence of much updating. When Randl and Pattie took possession of this home it needed a lot of work. “The whole place was falling down,” adds Randl, “so we upgraded the electric and plumbing and painted before we moved in.” Randl notes that he did much of the work himself and rarely hired a professional. Randl and Pattie updated the infrastructure while maintaining the farmhouse’s historic elements throughout. First floor living space consists of small rooms with few windows and lower ceilings. One section, dating to the 1740s, is the original structure, and is now the living room. In the early 1800s addition, now the dining room, this space was originally the keeping room with the original wood beam ceiling, and the beehive oven and walk-in fireplace for cooking and heating the farmhouse.
Arthur Bye had an addition built in 1934 to construct a new kitchen. According to Randl, this 1934 kitchen lay out made little sense and needed to be modernized with improved functionality. “The kitchen was worn out, with cabinet doors falling off and the linoleum floor was a wreck,” Randl adds. “It was a disaster,” he adds, “and we just could not live with it like this,” Randl continues. In 1994 Randl hired a carpenter to re-do the kitchen. A few kitchen elements were reconfigured to create a more functional flow of the space, like repositioning the stove and refrigerator. New Draper cabinets were installed, in a distressed green finish for an older look to stay consistent with a country kitchen. A backsplash above the stove showcases an arrangement of blue Delft tiles dating back to the 1500s that Randl’s father inherited from his mother, who was Dutch. In the tradition of continuing the legacy, family heirlooms and hand-me-downs fill most of the living space. In the kitchen, the table and chairs were from Randl’s boyhood days growing up with his two brothers. “Somehow these chairs survived,” he adds. Other family pieces are interspersed throughout.
In addition to the family heirlooms, Randl and Pattie have infused their home with art and artifacts by family members and artists they enjoy, as well as Randl’s photography and family portraits. A few pieces hold great significance for Randl, either as part of his collection of family art pieces, or items relevant to Randl’s passion for photography. For instance, filling a display cupboard in the dining room is Randl’s collection of early 19th century toy film cameras. In the living room are two paintings, by Arthur Bye, of the Bucks County countryside. Behind the sofa in the living room is a cabinet filled with historical works by Arthur Bye.
An appreciation for art and history ran in the family, particularly Dr. Arthur Bye who was an artist who painted Bucks County landscapes, as well as an historian, author and curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a professor of Art at Lafayette College, Vassar College, and the University of North Carolina. He founded his own art center for the restoration of paintings on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia and was an art dealer for most of his life. Dr. Bye authored five books on art history and two on Bye family history (adding his own illustrations) as well as many articles. His son, Ranulph Bye, is considered one of the foremost watercolorists in the country and produced over three thousand watercolors.
Within this homestead’s long history there survives a family legacy and relevance to the history of Bucks County. It is not only the land that has historical significance, but the Bye name itself is steeped in Bucks County history. The homestead and its owners and dwellers have resided for centuries in the original farmhouse or one of the other homes on the property. Of the original 200 acres, 75 acres remain as part of the Bye family farmland. Randl and Pattie are the next generation of Byes to carry on the family tradition and watch over Byecroft Farm.