The area that would become Freemansburg was first settled by the Bachman family in the 1760s with their old stone house, which also doubled as a tavern, still standing on the western edge of the borough.

The Bachmans resisted several attacks from local Indians who lived on the opposite bank of the Lehigh River.

Shortly afterwards the Bachmans were joined by the Freemans as well as Moravians from neighboring Bethlehem who built a series of mills, as well as a distillery and tavern.

[3] In 1811 a bridge was built across the Lehigh River at Freemansburg and the first physician moved into the area in 1817, as well as the opening of the first general store in 1825.

[6] It originally had a Chief Burgess system of government, like many municipalities in Pennsylvania, where the executive of the government was a mostly powerless honorary position elected for one year terms from among members of the city council.

The first Chief Burgess was George Bachman, and the first members of the city council were: William Gwinner the council President, Amos Seip, John Warg, Thomas Doney, and R. O. Lerch.

Additionally, this council has seen high turnover of membership and rather vitriolic debates and name calling as well as a deep-seated rivalry between true "burgers", people born and raised in the borough, and those who moved in from Bethlehem after the closing of the Bethlehem Works.