Davidsville, a small town in the eastern part of the township, was laid out by David Stutzman in the year 1831, with Thomas Gahagan as the surveyor. As Stutzman was not considered harmonious enough, its name was taken from the first name of its founder.
The first house was erected by Joseph Schell and Peter Levy in 1831. It is now owned by Josiah Swank and occupied by his son, Jacob D. Swank, Esq. For many years, the house had served as both a store and a hotel.
The post office was established in 1832 with Peter Levy as the first postmaster. The first blacksmith shop was built by Tobias Mishler and Samuel Livingstone about 1832. It was replaced by one now occupied by Ephraim Swank.
The first schoolhouse in Davidsville was a log building erected about 1835. It is still standing and is occasionally used by the Reformed congregation as a place for public worship. A new schoolhouse was erected near the village in 1879 at a cost of three hundred and seventy-five dollars.
A tannery was started in 1862 by Josiah Swank. It was burned in 1882 and has not been rebuilt. In 1883, the following were the industries of Davidsville: Two general stores, one grocery, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, two shoemaker’s shops, one saddler’s shop, one tannery and one hotel.
(Source: extracted from History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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