The Mercer Museum in Doylestown is taking a new look at the notorious Doan Gang — the band of five Revolutionary War-era brothers and one cousin from Central Bucks County and served as British spies and hardened criminals during the war — through a new exhibit.
The grave marker for Abraham Doan, who was eventually executed in Philadelphia in 1788, serves as the centerpiece of the exhibit, “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution.”
Who were the members of the Doan Gang, and what were their crimes?
The Doan Gang consisted of relatives Aaron, Abraham, Joseph, Levi, Mahlon and Moses.
“Abraham Doan was a member of the infamous ‘Doan Gang,’ a network of loyalists in Bucks County who supported Great Britain during the Revolutionary War,” read Mercer Museum’s description of Abraham Doan and the Doan Gang. “The Gang robbed tax collectors, militia members, and other citizens who supported the American revolutionary cause.
“Abraham and his cousin Levy Doan were hanged in Philadelphia in 1788 and remain the only individuals ever executed for ‘outlawry‘ in the United States of America,” continued the museum’s description. “The Doan cousins were buried in Bucks County after their executions, however the exact location remained a mystery.”
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Doan Gang gravesites mystery deepens
The mystery surrounding the exact locations of the Doan Gang gravesites live on to this day.
According to the museum, many believed the Doan Gang were buried in unmarked graves in a stretch grass near the Plumstead Friends’ cemetery.
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“By the 1950s, many locals had come to believe that two unengraved stones directly outside of the cemetery’s walls marked Abraham and Levy Doan’s burial sites. These stones are now believed to actually have marked the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers who died while the meetinghouse was used as a hospital,” read a portion of the museum’s press release. “Regardless of this fact, the legend of the stones continued to grow. In 1966, two engraved stones, one for Abraham and one for Levy, appeared near the unmarked stones.
“The engravings noted the names and parents of the Gang members and referred to each simply as ‘An Outlaw.’ Although Levy’s stone remains intact, Abraham’s stone saw damage and had broken in half over the decades.”
The Bucks County Historical Society agreed to donate the gravestone to the museum last year.
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‘The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution’ exhibit sheds new light on infamous group
The Mercer Museum’s exhibit, “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution,” looks to break down the history of the Doan Gang.
“Learn how these local outlaws plotted, schemed, and plundered their way through a divided world in the earliest days of a budding American nation, and why their deep loyalty to British rule in the colonies made them enemies of the Founding Fathers,” read the museums’ description of the exhibit. “‘The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution,’ investigates the extraordinary tales of the Gang’s criminal exploits throughout the region and explores the conflicts that arose among neighbors, friends, and families in Bucks County who were forced to choose sides during a time of great political and social unrest.”
The longterm exhibit will run through Dec. 31, 2026.
Damon C. Williams covers trending and regional developments for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: A new look at the Doan Gang, Bucks County’s notorious outlaws
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