History of Berks County - Amity Township
The following is reproduced from the 1876 Atlas of Berks County, Pennsylvania
Amity township is bounded on the north-east by Oley and Earl; on the south-east by Douglass; on the south-west by the Schuylkill river, separating it from Union; and on the north-west by Exeter. The soil is principally red shale and gravel. This has been rendered very productive by cultivation, and the land is highly valuable for agricultural purposes. The surface of the land is undulating, except in the central portion, where Monocacy Hill causes the aspect to be somewhat mountainous.
This is one of the oldest townships in the county. The earlier settlers were Swedes and Germans. Near Douglassville it was proposed to hold a meeting between the natives and the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, in regard to an encounter which had taken place between the Palatines and the Indians. The affair was settled without the use of arms. In 1741 there were over seventy taxables. The population has increased from 1,070 in 1810, to 1,646 in 1870.
There are two important streams in Amity, the Monocacy creek in the northwest and the Manatawny in the northeast. Several other small ones are found in the different parts of the township. These all wend their way to the Schuylkill, turning the wheels of mills of different kinds in their course.
The township is well supplied with means of communication with the outside world. The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad passes through the southern portion. The roads are in good condition, extending in all directions for the use of the inhabitant.
The important villages in the township are Amityville in the centre, Douglassville in the southeast and Weavertown west of Amityville. There are ten school districts, well supplied with facilities for instructing the young. The Episcopalians have a church at Douglassville. The Lutheran and German Reformed denominations also occupy a house in common at the same place. The Friends and the United Brethren in Christ, each own a meeting house. The principal hotel in Amity is that known as the "Yellow House," owned by the heirs of J. F. Guldin, Esq.