Heckton is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

which is located in

Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Middle Paxton Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,054 at the 2020 census. History In 1729 Paxtang Township of Lancaster County was established. The spelling "Paxtang" is from the origina ...

, United States. It lies near the east bank of the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

, north of Fort Hunter, and is part of the

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

–

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

This community was named for Dr. Lewis Heck. Reared in Shippensburg, Dr. Heck settled here in 1832, practiced medicine and served as a representative in the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He also operated a large steam sawmill nearby from 1843 until 1890, and that specific area was known as Heckton Mills. By 1899 the small community was known as Heckton.Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968 for Jennie E. Norton
accessed 29 November 2020. She was born in "Heckton Mills" and married in Heckton (misspelled as "Hecton"). U.S. Routes 22 and

322 __NOTOC__ Year 322 (Roman numerals, CCCXXII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probianus and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1075 ''Ab urbe condita''). The ...

pass through Heckton as a four-lane expressway, close to the Susquehanna River, with full access from

PA 443 Pennsylvania Route 443 (PA 443) is an east–west state highway in the United States, US state of Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at an intersection with State Route 3009 (SR 3009) at North Front Street on the east bank of the Susqueh ...

(Fishing Creek Valley Road). US 22/322 leads south, approximately to

and northwest, about to the borough of Dauphin. Years ago, Heckton could be reached by travelling North Front Street/River Road (Old 22), about from Harrisburg to Heckton Road; however, Heckton Road was bisected when U.S. Routes 22 and 322 were expanded to a limited access expressway. As a result, the Heckton Cemetery (old Riverview Cemetery) and Cemetery Road, which parallels US 22/322 can be accessed from PA 443, just northeast of the US 22/322 interchange. The historic Heckton Church was erected in 1885 for use by

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

s. In 2009, it was moved by Fort Hunter Mansion and Park to its current location at 5264 North Front Street.Fort Hunter Mansion and Park: Heckton Church.
Accessed 23 January 2022. The church is available for weddings.

References

{{authority control Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area Unincorporated communities in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania