Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

CHAPTER 2 HISTORIC & CULTURAL RESOURCES mouth of the Swatara River, which is believed to be County, triumphing in their new freedom, elected to HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT the oldest building in Middle Paxton Township. demonstrate their appreciation for the French efforts and divide Lancaster County into two An examination of the names of townships, British pioneers also colonized the area counties, naming the new county “Dauphin”, after municipalities, and streets located within Dauphin along the Susquehanna River during the early the oldest son of the King of France. County reveals the names of the courageous, 1700’s. The site of an old Indian village called tenacious men and women that left their homes in Peshtank and convergence of various Indian trails Philadelphia, West Chester, France, England, and proved an acceptable location for John Harris to Ireland to forge a new life in a pristine land. The construct his home around 1719. He built a log first group of settlers, the French Huguenots such cabin near the present site of Paxton and Front as Letort and Chartier, pushed through the frontier Streets and operated a ferry route across the until they reached the Susquehanna River and the Susquehanna River. This village called “Harris’ Indian Village of Peixtan. The original residents of Ferry” flourished as many more people moved into Peixtan, the nomadic Lenni Lenape Indians, the territory. Received these pioneers and served as guides for the newcomers as they searched for animal pelts. Colonists continued to arrive from Ireland, England, France, Germany, and other parts of the Survival in the harsh, rugged frontier Province, as Pennsylvania was known, and to demanded perseverance from those daring enough situate their homesteads along the fertile valleys of to surmount its daily challenges. The Scotch-Irish, the Susquehanna River. During the 1750’s the colonists that possessed these attributed, migrated prosperity of these villages and the peaceful from Ulster, Ireland to the disputed Pennsylvania- relations enjoyed with the Lenni-Lenape and Maryland border and then to the areas along the Iroquois Indians slowly diminished as tensions

Susquehanna River in the early days of the mounted between the Indians, the French, and the Fort Hunter Indian Hut Reproduction eighteenth century. Names such as Chambers, British. The once tranquil territory became marred Maclay, and Stewart and Kelker appeared in early by violence and brutal murders of both the Indians records listing the original inhabitants of Peshtank, and the white settlers as the French and Indian War By 1791 the United States had elected its Derry, Londonderry, and Hanover Townships. The raged. first president, the Bill of Rights was added to the Chambers family chose the mouth of Fishing Creek Constitution of the newly created United States, (currently the site of the Hunter Mansion) as the Bayonets and swords had just been retired from the and John Harris lived to see the fulfillment of his location for their family residence and mill battles of the French and Indian War when the ambition to establish the Borough of Harrisburg. operation. Many years later the Chambers family residents of the territory found themselves in the His son, John, not only shared his father’s moved down the Susquehanna River and founded American Revolutionary War. Battling to secure aspirations to establish Harrisburg, but also Chambersburg. In 1729 Peter Allen, one of the first their freedom from the excessive English taxes and believed that someday this town would be the seat colonists to explore and settle the land north of dominance, the colonists enlisted the support of the of government in Dauphin County, and perhaps the Paxton Creek, constructed a stone dwelling at the French, which proved effective. On March 4, 1785, location of the state’s capitol. Harris and William the colonists in the territory known as Lancaster Maclay designed the street pattern for the town Historic & Cultural Resources 2-1 Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

with these goals in mind. They selected several Hill in Harrisburg and the Legislature commenced HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING blocks for the location of the county and state operations. government buildings and designated them as In 1977 the Tri-County Regional Planning public grounds. Activity not only flourished on the blocks Commission prepared an Historic Preservation Plan occupied by governmental buildings, but also as an element of the Regional Land Use Plan John Harris’ dream of locating the county throughout Dauphin County. In the late 1820’s, an project. The purpose was to provide a basic government in Harrisburg met with little resistance; agreement was signed to bring the Pennsylvania framework for municipalities to work toward Middletown and Carlisle were considered, but Canal through the County, linking it to markets of organizing their own historic preservation activities. Harris’ arguments for Harrisburg were convincing. western Pennsylvania, as well as parts of New York The project was intended to increase public Harris encountered more hindrances, however, in and New Jersey. Barge traffic along the awareness of “…the importance of preserving and his request to establish Harrisburg as the state Susquehanna River escalated, bringing new maintaining sites and structures indicative of man’s capitol. The Legislature in Philadelphia realized that products, ideas, and residents to Dauphin County. religious, cultural and physical development…”. It the perimeter of Pennsylvania was increasing as also outlined a series of technical guidelines and more people moved from the eastern cities to the The Pennsylvania Railroad, destined to implementation mechanisms available for historic western frontier regions, and they would eventually become the world’s largest railroad, built its first preservation activities in the Region. have to move the state capitol to a more central section of railroad from Harrisburg to Lewistown. location for the shifting population. In 1795 the Steel companies such as Bethlehem Steel The current list of officially recognized House agreed to relocate in Carlisle, but the Senate developed in the area to support the railroad historical assets were inventoried and mapped for rejected this plan. In 1798, the House selected companies’ need for steel products. The area’s the Regional Growth Management Plan. This Wrightsville as its new location, but again the centralized location in the state and access to a information is depicted on MAP 2-1. Like Senate refused. Finally, one year later, both major waterway, the Susquehanna River, made it environmental limitation data, identifying the parties agreed that Lancaster would be an an ideal center for transportation. Lumber mills location of special and historical features is useful in acceptable location for the seat of government. soon dotted the shoreline of the Susquehanna determining the most suitable areas for growth and River, sending their timber products downstream to development. For thirteen years, state governmental the railroad centers throughout Dauphin County. activities transpired in Lancaster while John Harris’ National Register of Historic Sites public land set aside for such activities would serve The various industries that developed along as a spot where Harrisburg citizens would excavate the scenic Susquehanna River banks, the early Properties and historic districts on the National sand and gravel. Unsatisfied with the facilities and battles argued in the original capitol building, and Register are recognized by the Federal Government location of Lancaster, however, the Legislature the early relations between the Indians and settlers and the Commonwealth as being worthy of again decided to relocate. In 1822, twenty-seven such as Harris, Chambers, Maclay, and Allen are all preservation. They are provided some protection years after John Harris began his crusade to rich, valuable reminders of the Dauphin County from proposed federal funded projects that might establish Harrisburg as the state capitol, the gavel heritage. adversely impact them. The criteria for evaluation struck the Speaker of the House’s desk on Capitol and consideration is based on the quality of significance in American history, architecture,

Historic & Cultural Resources 2-2 Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

archeology, engineering and culture. The register identifies these sites and features in the form of historic districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association with historic events, person’s lives, distinctive characteristics of a unique period or method of construction, artistic values or other distinguishable entity.

A list of Dauphin County National Register sites is listed in TABLE 2-1 and depicted on MAP 2-1.

Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission Marker Sites

In 1945 a major initiative was started by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission to create a program to erect historical markers Dauphin County Historic Marker throughout Pennsylvania. Of the nearly 1500 Fort Hunter markers throughout the Commonwealth, approximately 8% are located in the Tri-County Region. All historical markers in Dauphin County are listed in TABLE 2-2 and depicted on MAP 2-1.

Historic Church

Historic & Cultural Resources 2-3 NORTHUMBERLAND PILLOW COUNTY LYKENS 225 SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MIFFLIN BERRYSBURG GRATZ

UPPER PAXTON WILLIAMS

25 WILLIAMSTOWN WICONISCO 209

LYKENS

WASHINGTON

ELIZABETHVILLE 209 MILLERSBURG

JACKSON

225 JEFFERSON 147

PERRY WAYNE RUSH COUNTY HALIFAX

HALIFAX 325

REED EAST HANOVER MIDDLE PAXTON

LEBANON 443 COUNTY 22 322 DAUPHIN 81 WEST HANOVER

743

81

22 39

SUSQUEHANNA 39

CUMBERLAND 81 LOWER PAXTON SOUTH HANOVER 422 COUNTY 230

22 83 DERRY

PENBROOK 322 HARRISBURG SWATARA HUMMELSTOWN PAXTANG 322 83

LOWER SWATARA 743

230 283

STEELTON 283 CONEWAGO

HIGHSPIRE MIDDLETOWN 76

230 283

ROYALTON LONDONDERRY LANCASTER COUNTY

YORK COUNTY

HISTORIC MARKERS

NATIONAL REGISTER DAUPHIN COUNTY MAP 2-1 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2008 NATIONAL REGISTER AND HISTORIC MARKERS SITES TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL DAUPHIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA PLANNING COMMISSION PREPARED BY TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION 0 1 2 3 DATE: NOVEMBER 2003 mi TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION SOURCE: PENN DOT & T.C.R.P.C. MAKE NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OF DATA REPRESENTED FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE DATA IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND THE USER ASSUMES ALL RISK OF USE. Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

TABLE 2-1 NATIONAL REGISTER SITES Dauphin County 2000

Area Name of Building or Structure General Location Year Listed Berrysburg Romberger-Stover House Market Street 1980 Derry Hershey Community Center 2 Chocolate Ave.,Hershey 1980 Derry High Point (Milton S. Hershey Mansion) Mansion Rd.,Hershey 1978 East Hanover John Todd House South Mountain Rd. 1988 Harrisburg Broad Street Market Verebeke St. 1974 Harrisburg Simon Cameron School 1839 Green St. 1986 Harrisburg Camp Curtain Fire Station 2405 N. Sixth St. 1981 Harrisburg Colonial Theater Third and Market St. 1982 Harrisburg Dauphin County Courthouse Front and Market St. 1993 Harrisburg William Donaldson House 2005 N. 3rd Street 1990 Harrisburg German Evangelical Zion Lutheran Church Capitol and Herr St. 1975 Harrisburg Greenwalt (Kogan) Building 118-20 Market St. 1998 Harrisburg William R. Griffith House / Cathedral House 215 N. Front St. 1976 Harrisburg Harris Switch Tower (PA Railroad) 637 Walnut Street 1994 Harrisburg John Harris Mansion (Simon Cameron House) 219 S. Front St. 1973 Harrisburg Harrisburg Central Rail Station Aberdeen St. 1975 Harrisburg Harrisburg Technical High School / Old City Hall 423 Walnut St. 1982 Harrisburg Harrisburg 19th Street Armory 1313 S. 19th St. 1991 Harrisburg Keystone Building 18-22 S. 3rd St. 1979 Harrisburg Kunkle(Feller) Building 301 Market St. 1982 Harrisburg Market Street Bridge Market St. over Susq. River 1988 Harrisburg Salem United Church of Christ 231 Chestnut St. 1975 Harrisburg William Seel Building 319 Market St. 1980 Harrisburg Senate Hotel 122 Market St. 1997 Harrisburg Sheffield Apartments 2003 N. 3rd St. 1990 Harrisburg Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge State St. over 130 Spur & Paxton Creek 1988 Harrisburg State Capitol Building Third and State Streets 1977 Harrisburg Telegraph Building 214-216 Locust Street 1986 Harrisburg Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital Cameron St. 1986 Harrisburg/Wormleysburg Walnut Street Bridge Walnut St. over Susq. River 1972 Highspire Highspire High School 221 Penn St. 1990 Hummelstown Dr. William Henderson House 31 E. Main St. 1979 Hummelstown Keystone Hotel 40 E. main St. 1985 Hummelstown Enoch Matlick House 250 E. Main St. 1979 Hummelstown Zion Lutheran Church and Graveyard N. W. corner of Rosanna St. 1979 Jackson/Wayne Twps. Shoop Site 36DA20 Address Restricted 1986 Londonderry Henry Smith (Hidden Spring) Farm 950 Swatara Crk Rd. Middtwn 1988 Lower Swatara John Motter Barn / Star Barn Complex Nissley Drive @ 283 2000 Lykens Grand Army of the Republic Building 628 N. Second St. 1986 Lykens Twp. Bridge in Lykens Twp. LR 22001 over Pine Creek 1988 Lykens Twp. Bridge in Lykens Twp. LR 22033 over tributary to Pine Creek 1988 Middle Paxton John Ayers House N.W. of Dauphin on PA 325 1989 Middletown B'NAI Jacob Synagogue Nissley and Water Streets 1985 Middletown Simon Cameron House 30 E. Main St. 1976 Middletown Simon Cameron Bank 28 E. Main St. 1976 Middletown Charles and Joseph Raymond Houses 37 and 38 Union St. 1979 Middletown St. Peter's Keirch 31 W. High St. 1973 Middletown Swatara Ferry House 400 Swatara St. 1976 Mifflin Dauphin County Bridge #27/Seaman Bridge Diebler's Bam Rd. over Mahantango Creek 1993 Reed Bridge in Reed Twp. TR 147 over Powell's Creek 1988 Susquehanna/Marysville (Perry Co.) Rockville Bridge 3 miles N. of Hbg. across the Susquehanna River 1975 Susquehanna Archibald McAllister House / Fort Hunter Mansion 5300 N. Front St. 1976 Washington Henninger Farm Covered Bridge T-624 over Wiconisco Creek 1978 Source: National Register of Historic Places

Historic & Cultural Resources 2-5 Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

TABLE 2-2 PENNSYLVANIA HISTORIC MUSEUM COMMISSION HISTORIC MARKERS 2000 Dauphin County

Year Area Marker Reference General Location Marked Derry Derry Church SR 743 N. of US 422 near the Church 1948 Derry Derry Churchyard US 422 at E end of Hershey 1948 Derry Union Canal Hanover St. just S. of Union Deposit and N. of SR 39 (Hershey Park Dr.) 1948 East Hanover Hanover Church US 22 13.4 miles NE of Harrisburg, intersection of PA 743 1947 East Hanover Hanover Resolves US 22, 14 miles NE of Harrisburg, E. of intersection of PA 743 1946 East Hanover Fort Manada PA 443 near Manada Gap 1970 Halifax Fort Halifax PA 124, 0.5 miles north of Halifax Boro 1946 Harrisburg Camp Curtin 6th and Woodbine St. 1992 Harrisburg Lincoln Cemetery 30th St. and Boozer Ave. 1994 Harrisburg Mira Lloyd Dock Riverfront Park 1996 Harrisburg Dauphin County Courthouse Front and Market St. 1982 Harrisburg City of Harrisburg Gateways Gateway markers on older main highways leading into the City 1946 Harrisburg Harrisburg Cemetery NE Corner of 13th and State St. 1968 Harrisburg Old Salem Church Chestnut St. between 2nd and 3rd Streets 1968 Harrisburg Executive Mansion Former 111 S. 2nd St. 1970 Harrisburg Abraham Lincoln S. Market Square (east side) 1953 Harrisburg Market Square S. Market Square (east side) 1953 Harrisburg Eagle Hotel At former 21 North 2nd St. 1953 Harrisburg Old Courthouses Market St. between 2nd and 3rd St. 1953 Harrisburg T.Morris Chester Market Square near 3rd St. 1986 Harrisburg Presidential Convention 14 S. 4th St., Zion Lutheran Church 1953 Harrisburg Pennsylvania Canal Walnut St. at the Forum Bldg. 1953 Harrisburg John Harris' Gift Capitol Park at 3rd and Walnut St. 1953 Harrisburg State Capitol Main entrance of Capitol (south of steps) 1953 Harrisburg Old Brick Capitol Main entrance of Capitol (south of steps) 1953 Harrisburg Grace Methodist Church State St. between 2nd and 3rd Streets 1968 Harrisburg Executive Mansion Governor's Home, N. of 2nd St. near McClay St. 1970 Harrisburg Executive Mansion Riverfront Park, Front and McClay St. 1970 Harrisburg John Harris Mansion S. Front St. at Mansion 1946 Harrisburg Harris Ferry Riverfront Park opposite John Harris Mansion 1970 Harrisburg Harrisburg State Hospital N. Cameron St. beside the Hospital 1987 Harrisburg Paxtang Manor Riverfront Park, Front and Calder St. 1953 Harrisburg William McClay Riverfront Park, Front and South St. 1946 Harrisburg Executive Mansion Riverfront Park, opposite former 311-313 N. Front St. 1966 Harrisburg Camel Back Bridge Front and Market St. in Riverfront Park 1953 Harrisburg Pennsylvania Farm Show MaClay St. in front of Farm Show Complex 1991 Highspire Col. James Burd PA 230 in Highspire 1946 Lower Paxton Barnett's Fort PA 39, 1.4 miles E. of the Linglestown Sq. 1947 Lower Paxton Patton's Fort PA 39, 1.4 miles W. of Linglestown Sq. 1947 Lower Paxton Paxton Riflemen US 22, 5.7 miles NE of Harrisburg 1947 Middle Paxton Col. Timothy Green PA 225., .2 miles N. of Dauphin Borough 1948 Middletown Union Canal SR 320 E. of Middletown at Swatara Creek 1984 Middletown Saint Peter's Kierch Spring and High St. at Church 1969 Middletown Camp George Gordon Meade PA 441 at Middletown Area School near Turnpike underpass 1966 Middletown Burd Tombs PA 441 just N. of Middletown 1946 Middletown Middletown Borough Gateway marker on PA 230 just W. of Middletown N/A Millersburg Millrsburg Ferry PA 147 at Market St. and N. St. in the Borough 1972 Paxtnag Paxtang Church At the church on Paxtang Avenue 1947 Paxtang Paxton Church Derry St. near Wilhelm Rd. 1947 Reed Pennsylvania Canal (Eastern Division) US 22 and 322 S. of Clarks Ferry Bridge 1952 Susquehanna Fort Hunter N. Front St., .5 miles N. of the Rockville Bridge at entrance to the Park 1947

Historic & Cultural Resources 2-6 Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan: Basic Studies & Trends______

Historic Districts TABLE 2-4 DAUPHIN COUNTY HISTORIC DISTRICTS Dauphin County is home to both local historic districts (Table 2-3) as well as ON historic districts that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Table NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 2-4). 2000

TABLE 2-3 Year LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS Municipality Name of Historic District Acreage General Location Listed Clemson Island Prehistoric Dauphin County Halifax District 145 Clemson Island 1981 2000 Susquehanna Fort Hunter Historic District 320 U.S. 22 1979 Harrisburg Harrisburg Cemetery 350 13th & Liberty Streets 1985 Year Forster, 3rd, Hanna Streets and Municipality Name of Building of Structure General Location Listed Harrisburg Harrisburg Historic District 1,920 the Susquehanna River 1976 Area bound by Forester Street, 3rd Harrisburg Harrisburg Military Post 280 Junction of 14th & Calder Streets 1991 St., Shipoke and Susquehanna Midtown Harrisburg Historic Forster, Verbecke & 3rd Streets Harrisburg Harrisburg Historic District River 1979 Harrisburg District 430 and the Susquehanna River 1983 Harrisburg Old Downtown Area bound by Strawberry, Mount Pleasant Historic Sylvan, 19th, Market & Harrisburg District Chestnut, 4th and 3rd Streets 1983 Harrisburg District 550 Brookwood Streets 1985 Area bound by Forester, 6th, Old Downtown Harrisburg Dewberry, Chestnut, blackberry Midtown Harrisburg Historic Verbeke Streets and Susquehanna Harrisburg commercial Historic District 118 & South 3rd Streets 1963 Harrisburg District River 1983 Old Uptown Harrisburg McClay, North 3rd, Reily, North Area bound by Summit, Mulberry, Harrisburg Historic District 631 2nd & Calder Streets 1990 Harrisburg Allison Hill Historic District Derry Streets and Sylvan Terrace 1985 Middletown Henry Smith Farm 10 950 Swatara Creek Road 1988 Area bound by Market, 19th, Hummelstown John Todd House 65 South Meadow Lane 1988 Harrisburg Mount Pleasant Historic District Cameron and Brookwood Streets 1990 Source: National Register of Historic Places Uptown Harrisburg Historic Area bound by 2nd, 3rd, Maclay and Harrisburg District Sayford Streets 1990 N. Front St., .5 miles N. of the Susquehanna Fort Hunter Historic District Rockville Bridge 1979

Fort Hunter Historic District

Historic & Cultural Resources 2-7