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Shippensburg is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
in
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
and
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the
Cumberland Valley The Cumberland Valley is a northern constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley, within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the valley. Geography The valley is bound to th ...
, southwest of
Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
, and is part of the Harrisburg–
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
. The population was 5,492 at the 2010 census. Of this, 4,416 were in Cumberland County, and 1,076 were in Franklin County. Shippensburg was incorporated as a borough on January 21, 1819. In the past, there were furniture factories, engine and pump works, and other industrial works located within the town. Shippensburg is the home of
the Beistle Company The Beistle Company, or simply Beistle, is an American company known for manufacturing holiday decorations and party goods, and particularly known for its catalog of Halloween decorations. Beistle was founded in 1900 in Pennsylvania by Martin Luth ...
, the oldest manufacturer of decorations and party goods in the U.S. In May 2012,
Volvo Construction Equipment Volvo Construction Equipment - Volvo CE - (originally Munktells, Bolinder-Munktell, Volvo BM) is a major international company that develops, manufactures and markets equipment for construction and related industries. It is a subsidiary and busine ...
began a $100 million expansion project to bring its American headquarters to Shippensburg.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship or SU) is a public university in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers college in Pennsylvania. ...
, one of 14 universities of the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that oversees 10 state-owned universities. Collectively, it is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. All ...
, is located just north of the borough limits in Shippensburg Township.


History

Shippensburg is the oldest community of the
Cumberland Valley The Cumberland Valley is a northern constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley, within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the valley. Geography The valley is bound to th ...
, and the second oldest west of the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
in Pennsylvania (after
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
to the east). In July 1730, 12 Scots-Irish families came to the site of the present-day Shippensburg and built cabin homes along Burd's Run. Shippensburg began as the western outpost of colonial settlement. The village received its name from
Edward Shippen Edward Shippen (1639, Methley, West Yorkshire, England – October 2, 1712, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the second mayor of Philadelphia, although under William Penn's charter of 1701, he was considered the first. Early life Edward was bor ...
, a prominent resident of Lancaster (and onetime mayor of
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
) who obtained the patent to the land from the heirs of
William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...
. Edward Shippen's granddaughter,
Peggy Shippen Margaret "Peggy" Shippen (July 11, 1760 – August 24, 1804) was the highest-paid spy in the American Revolution, and was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold. Shippen was born into a prominent Philadelphia family with Loyalist tendencies. ...
, was historically notable as the wife of General
Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...
, who betrayed the Continental Army by defecting to the British during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. In 1735, Samuel Perry built the
Widow Piper's Tavern Widow Piper's Tavern, also known as the Old Courthouse and Shippensburg Civic Center, is a historic inn and tavern located at Shippensburg in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It was built about 1735, and is a 2 1/2-story, irregular stone building ...
, which stands at the southwest corner of East King Street and Queen Street. This building was selected as the place for the first Cumberland County Courts in 1750 and 1751. The building has been restored and serves today as the home of the Shippensburg Civic Club. On July 9, 1755, Edward Morris, the governor of Shippensburg, ordered that a fort be built after he learned of General Braddock's defeat at the hands of the French and Indians. His intent was to provide protection for the troops and colonists during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
. Over the next year, several buildings, a well, and a log
palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymology ''Palisade' ...
were built. Fort Morris was garrisoned until the early 1760s but preserved for several more years due to the efforts of Edward Shippen. There is also a record that an officer and eighteen provincial troops were stationed in Shippensburg during the winter of 1763-1764. On March 24, 1761, Shippen wrote, "I desire everybody in Shippensburg to take care of ye Fort for I will suffer a log of it to be thrown down on any pretense whatever."
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship or SU) is a public university in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers college in Pennsylvania. ...
was founded in 1871 as a
normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
. In 2009, a team of archaeologists reported they had discovered the site of Fort Morris on Burd Street. Among the artifacts found were pottery, coins, buttons, musket balls, flints and musket parts. Some of these artifacts are housed in Shearer Hall on the Shippensburg University campus, while others are currently on display at the Shippensburg Historical Society. The
Shippensburg Historic District Shippensburg Historic District is a national historic district located at Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 324 contributing buildings in the central business district and surrounding residential areas of ...
,
Dykeman's Spring Dykeman's Spring, also known as Ainsworth Fish Farm and Asper Tract, is a historic fish farm upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">S ...
, the
Benjamin Blythe Homestead Benjamin Blythe Homestead, also known as Hazel Glen and Blythstead, is a historic home located at Shippensburg in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built before 1798, and is a two-story, limestone house in the Georgian style ...
, Cumberland Valley State Normal School Historic District, the Shippen House, and
Widow Piper's Tavern Widow Piper's Tavern, also known as the Old Courthouse and Shippensburg Civic Center, is a historic inn and tavern located at Shippensburg in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It was built about 1735, and is a 2 1/2-story, irregular stone building ...
are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.


Geography

Shippensburg is located in south-central Pennsylvania at (40.049453, -77.523830), primarily in Cumberland County, but extending west into Franklin County.
U.S. Route 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
passes through the center of town as King Street; US 11 leads northeast to
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, the Cumberland County seat, and southwest to
Chambersburg Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the Mas ...
, the Franklin County seat.
Pennsylvania Route 696 Pennsylvania Route 696 (PA 696) is a state highway located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Cumberland counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 997, PA 997 in Greene ...
leads north out of Shippensburg as Earl Street and south as Fayette Street. Via PA 696 it is north to Newburg and south to Exit 24 on
Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...
.
Pennsylvania Route 533 Pennsylvania Route 533 (PA 533) is a state highway located in Franklin and Cumberland counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at State Route 4004 (SR 4004) at a junction with Mountain Road, Valley Road, and Community Road in the commun ...
leads west out of town as Morris Street, to Orrstown.
Pennsylvania Route 174 Pennsylvania Route 174 (PA 174) is a state highway located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 11 (US 11) and PA 533 in Shippensburg. The eastern terminus is at PA 641 in Monroe Township. PA 174 is a tw ...
(Walnut Bottom Road) split east from US 11 at the east edge of the borough, leading to Exit 29 on Interstate 81 and to the village of Walnut Bottom in South Newton Township. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the borough of Shippensburg has a total area of , of which , or 0.18%, is water. Gum Run flows through the center of town, entering from the south and becoming Middle Spring Creek, a north-flowing tributary of
Conodoguinet Creek Conodoguinet Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in South central Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2004. The name is Native American, and means "A Long Way with Many Bends". Conodo ...
and part of the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
watershed. Outside the town, the area consists of mostly field and pasture, some forest, few streams and water holes.


Climate


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 5,586 people, 2,397 households, and 1,138 families residing in the borough. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2,772.0 people per square mile (1,067.7/km²). There were 2,602 housing units at an average density of 1,291.2 per square mile (497.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.16%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.44%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.11% Native American, 0.98%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.47% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.82% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.15% of the population. There were 2,397 households, out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.5% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.5% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87. In the borough the population was spread out, with 17.6% under the age of 18, 28.5% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $27,660, and the median income for a family was $39,896. Males had a median income of $29,387 versus $21,775 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the borough was $14,816. About 9.4% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.


Festivals

Yearly, in the last full week of July, the Shippensburg Community Fair is held. Begun in 1958, the fair bills itself as Pennsylvania's largest bi-county fair. The fair includes agricultural exhibits, a craft show, food vendors, and carnival rides amongst other things. Every summer on the last Saturday of August, Shippensburg holds the Corn Festival, an event that brings regional artisans and vendors to operate stands downtown. The downtown is closed to traffic for at least 5 blocks for most of the day. Average attendance at the festival is estimated at 60,000 - 70,000 each year. In 2021, the Corn Festival was held at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds.


Education

The town is served by the
Shippensburg Area School District The Shippensburg Area School District is a midsized, suburban, public school district in Franklin County, Pennsylvania and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It is centered on the borough of Shippensburg and also serves Newburg, Hopewell Towns ...
.


Notable people

* sujatha baliga, Director of the Restorative Justice Project and MacArthur Fellow *
Andy Enfield Andrew William Enfield (born June 8, 1969) is an American basketball coach who is the men's head coach for the USC Trojans of the Pac-12 Conference. He came to national prominence as head coach at Florida Gulf Coast when it made an unexpected run ...
, current head basketball coach at the University of Southern California} * John Hamilton, starred as Perry White on the '' Adventures of Superman'' TV series of the 1950s * Thomas "Doc" Martin, historic physician of Taos, New MexicoTwitchell, Ralph Emerson. ''The Leading Facts of New Mexican History'', vol. 4, p. 463. Torch Press, 1917. *
William W. McCammon William Wallace McCammon (May 28, 1838 – March 27, 1903) was a soldier in the Union Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War. Biography He obtained the award for his service as 1st Lieutenant in Company ...
, Medal of Honor recipient from the American Civil War. *
Edward Shippen III Edward Shippen III (July 9, 1703 – September 25, 1781) was an American merchant and mayor of Philadelphia. Biography He was born on July 9, 1703, in Boston. Shippen entered into mercantile pursuits with James Logan, with whom he was in busin ...
, merchant, mayor of Philadelphia, founder of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, founding member of Princeton University, and part of the Shippen Family. *
Samuel D. Sturgis Samuel Davis Sturgis (June 11, 1822 – September 28, 1889) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army. A veteran of the Mexican–American War, Mexican War, American Civil War, Civil War, and American Indian Wars, I ...
, Union Army general and namesake of Sturgis, South Dakota.


References


External links


Shippensburg Borough official website

Shippensburg Community Fair

Shippensburg's Corn Festival

SHAPE - Shippensburg Arts Programming & Education
{{authority control Populated places established in 1730 Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area Boroughs in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Boroughs in Franklin County, Pennsylvania 1730 establishments in Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish American culture in Pennsylvania