Saturday
April 27, 2024 
Women’s History Month
Dorothy Parker, Writer, Poet and Critic. Known for her acerbic wit, Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Her short stories and poems appeared in The New Yorker, Vogue, and Vanity Fair magazines. She co-authored the screenplay for the 1937 adaptation of “A Star is Born” and was nominated twice for the Academy Award for screenwriting. She was a prolific writer, adept at poetry, short stories, criticism, and drama reviews.
Parker’s name is synonymous with Manhattan and the high life of posh parties and smoky speakeasies; but for 20 years she was a part-time resident of Pipersville, where she took refuge during the Great Depression and World War II.
“Dottie” and her husband, Alan Campbell, bought a 14-room farmhouse named Fox House on 120 acres with an apple orchard, barn, and view of the Delaware River. The couple added electricity and indoor plumbing and used the country residence for entertaining their New York and Hollywood friends.
While there during the 1930s and 1940s, Parker turned to gardening and shopping in Bucks County. Some say she attended movies at the theater in nearby Doylestown and frequented the Water Wheel Tavern in Plumstead Township. Dottie and Alan also are said to have stayed at the Doylestown Inn while their farmhouse was being renovated. Upon her death, Parker left the bulk of her estate to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP. Her Bucks County home was sold and is now a private residence.
Sources:Bucks County Free Library — https://buckslib.org/three-notable-bucks-county-women/
Dorothy Parker Society — https://dorothyparker.com/dorothy-parker-homes/pa
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.