Wrightsville Historic District - Wrightsville, PA
N 40° 01.549 W 076° 31.797
18T E 369450 N 4431743
Another historic district which inspired this regional location of the Lincoln Hwy., which in turned, sparked continued growth, development, & new history. All that is best, historic & noteworthy in this historic district happens on the Lincoln.
Waymark Code: WM9CFA
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/01/2010
Views: 3
When visiting this district one will see beautiful examples of mid 19th century architecture, 100 year old churches, rolling hills, old shops & beautiful landscapes. This is a perfect example of an intact "Civil War" town. Close to Mason-Dixon Line.
Wrightsville, 13.2 m. (256 alt., 2,246 pop.) on the west bank of the Susquehanna, is an industrial miniature of Columbia and virtually shares the latter's history. --- Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940; page 444
Wrightsville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. I have made it a habit to stop off and visit this historic district when I visit York, PA. Other find if boring but I find it fascinating. First off, the main drag is Lincoln Highway which in itself should be enough to attract visitors. Secondly, the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridges dumps out here or beings here, depending on your perspective. Finally, if you are a fan of 19th century worker housing with a smattering of Victorian architecture, than this is the place for you. Across the Susquehanna River, a mile away are the most beautiful examples of Victorian architecture; there are only a few here.
The 19th century churches really enthralled me especially those with cemeteries. I think they are fascinating. I also observed ay Georgian and Federal style houses. There are also lots of Interpretives about the Civil War scattered about town. The town is small and has the usual centerpieces near the district or in the district including typical gov't offices, the "old" school, town clock, common grounds and awesome war memorials.
Wrightsville's significance rests on four areas — transportation, industry, architecture, and military. Transportation because this was a key place to cross the Susquehanna. AS a result industry developed here such as quarrying, lumber, a railroad and of course anything associated with shipping. The architecture of course gives people a real glimpse into what it was like to be a worker in the 1850s and how they lived. The military part is pretty obvious given the rich history of the Civil War. The folks here actually burned their bridge rather than allow the Confederates to move east in to Columbia. They stopped their Army right here, in the historic district.