Chambersburg Historic District - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Chambersburg Historic District includes the following downtown area: Memorial Square, US Routes 30 and 11, Queen, Main, Second, Third, Washington, and King Streets, as well as Philadelphia and Black Avenue(s).

Chambersburg, was begun by Colonel Benjamin Chambers, who settled in the area and laid out its lots in 1764. Earlier, in 1755, hundreds of settlers in the area had been killed and taken prisoner by hostile Indians, and Chambers was sent to build a fort for the protection of the settlers.
The town became the county seat in1803 when a formal government was set up by the state Assembly, and by 1859, Chambersburg was a stop on the Underground Railroad, which hid runaway slaves and aided in their escape to Canada and freedom. The infamous abolitionist, John Brown, and his followers met in Chambersburg while planning their disastrous raid on Harper's Ferry.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Chambersburg began several years of hardship, when 80,000 Confederate soldiers, under the leadership of General Lee, occupied the town. During this time, the town was repeatedly pillaged and the ammunition dump was destroyed. Early in 1864, in retaliation for a federal raid into Virginia, the Confederate army demanded that Chambersburg pay a $100,000 ransom in gold. The citizens refused and the town was looted and set on fire, making Chambersburg the only Northern town burned by the Confederate army. Although thousands of people were left homeless, the citizens quickly rebuilt, establishing Chambersburg as a center of industry and home to the Cumberland Valley Railroad. The city continues to thrive today, and to build on the history of hard work and determination of its forefathers.

Street address: US Route 30 and US Route 11 Chambersburg, Pa. USA 17201 County / Borough / Parish: Chambersburg Borough, Franklin County Year listed: 1982 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1700-1749, 1750-1799, 1800-1824, 1825-1849, 1850-1874, 1875-1899 Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic Current function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/01/2017 Searcher28 visited it 12/04/2006 deano1943 visited it

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