Born, educated and admitted to the bar in Philadelphia, Samuel Sitgreaves came to Easton in the mid-1780s. He quickly built a significant law practice and became, in the words of local historian Richard Hope, “...Easton’s leading citizen in the early 19th Century.” Soon after locating in Easton, Sitgreaves was elected a member of the convention to draft a constitution for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was twice elected to Congress and undertook a diplomatic mission to London at the request of President John Adams. He eventually became disgusted with national politics and did not participate further.

Sitgreaves returned to Easton in 1802 and once again took up the practice of law. He was the second Burgess of Easton and later the Treasurer of Northampton County. He was instrumental in the founding of the Easton Public Library, the Easton Bank, and Trinity Episcopal Church. He was largely responsible for the erection of the first bridge across the Delaware River at the foot of Northampton Street in 1806 which resulted in a large volume of covered wagon traffic headed west through Easton. Sitgreaves backed the building of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre turnpike which opened a vast section of Pennsylvania to commerce.

Sitgreaves was initially buried in the Trinity Episcopal graveyard; his remains were moved to Easton Cemetery in 1885. Sitgreaves Street between North Second and North Third Streets is named for him.