History

History of Chambersburg

Founded in 1764 and settled in 1730 by Benjamin Chambers — a Scots-Irish immigrant — Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County and the historic and commercial center of the region. But in 1730 it was the region’s water that lured Chambers and his brother to cross the Susquehanna River and head southwestward to their final destination at the confluence of the Conococheaque Creek and the Falling Spring — a creek that provided power to the mills and settlement known as “Falling Spring.” European settlement in the area was illegal or of questionable legality until the treaty ending the French and Indian War. The area was officially part of Chester County, then Lancaster and then Cumberland until it became part of the newly established Franklin County in 1784.

Chambersburg grew as an important crossroads; it was the point where travelers from east to west crossed the valley that ran from south to north. Chambersburg and Franklin County lay along the frontier, forcing settlers of the region to hone their fighting skills during the French and Indian War. Riflemen from the region were requested by George Washington in 1776 to fight the British in Boston. In the late 1780s, the first wagon train passed though Chambersburg and in 1814 the first turnpike opened. The beginning of rail travel in 1837 further contributed to the growth of the community by bringing travelers from Harrisburg to Chambersburg.

Chambersburg was invaded three times during the Civil War, and Robert E. Lee made the decision to move east into Gettysburg in the town square. Much of downtown Chambersburg was burned on July 30, 1864. After the fire, the community’s economy quickly rebounded with the development of foundries and the Cumberland Valley Railroad.

Today, visitors can stroll the charming downtown, shop for antiques and tour Chambers Fort, the Franklin County Courthouse and the Old Jail, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad.