Shippensburg, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Borough
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Shippensburg
Location of Shippensburg in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Counties	Cumberland and Franklin
Settled	1730
Incorporated	1819
Government
• Type	Borough Council
Area
• Total	5.26 km2 (2.03 sq mi)
• Land	5.25 km2 (2.03 sq mi)
• Water	0.01 km2 (0.00 sq mi)
Elevation	197 m (646 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,478
• Estimate  (2019)	5,565
• Density	1,059.39/km2 (2,744.08/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	17257
Area code(s)	717
FIPS code	42-70352
GNIS feature ID	1217325
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	June 01, 1948

Shippensburg is a small town, also called a borough, in Pennsylvania. It is located in both Cumberland and Franklin counties. The town is in the Cumberland Valley, about 41 miles (66 km) southwest of Harrisburg.

Shippensburg was first settled in 1730. It became an official borough on January 21, 1819. In the past, the town was known for its factories that made furniture, engines, and pumps. Today, Shippensburg is home to the Beistle Company, which is the oldest company in the U.S. that makes party decorations. In 2012, Volvo Construction Equipment moved its American headquarters to Shippensburg.

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a large college located just north of the town. It is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. In 2020, about 5,478 people lived in Shippensburg.

History of Shippensburg

Shippensburg is the oldest community in the Cumberland Valley. It is also the second oldest town west of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Only York is older.

Early Settlers and Naming

In July 1730, twelve families from Scotland and Ireland arrived. They built their homes along a stream called Burd's Run. Shippensburg started as a far-west outpost for colonial settlers.

The town got its name from Edward Shippen III. He was an important person from Lancaster and a former mayor of Philadelphia. Edward Shippen bought the land from the family of William Penn. His granddaughter, Peggy Shippen, later became famous. She was the wife of General Benedict Arnold, who betrayed the American army during the American Revolutionary War.

Historic Buildings and Fort Morris

In 1735, Samuel Perry built a building called the Widow Piper's Tavern. This building is still standing today at the corner of East King Street and Queen Street. It was chosen as the place for the first courts in Cumberland County in 1750 and 1751. The building has been fixed up and is now used by the Shippensburg Civic Club.

On July 9, 1755, Governor Edward Morris ordered a fort to be built. This happened after he heard that General Braddock's army was defeated by the French and Native Americans. The fort was meant to protect soldiers and settlers during the French and Indian War. Over the next year, a fort called Fort Morris was built. It had several buildings, a 70-foot-deep (21 m) well, and a log palisade (a fence of strong pointed wooden stakes).

Fort Morris was used by soldiers until the early 1760s. Edward Shippen worked to keep it safe for several more years. Records show that soldiers were stationed there during the winter of 1763–1764.

Shippensburg University and Discoveries

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania was started in 1871. It began as a school to train teachers.

In 2009, a group of archaeologists found the exact spot of Fort Morris on Burd Street. They found old items like pottery, coins, buttons, and parts of muskets. Some of these items are now in a building at Shippensburg University. Others are on display at the Shippensburg Historical Society.

Several historic places in Shippensburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Shippensburg Historic District, Dykeman's Spring, the Benjamin Blythe Homestead, the Shippen House, and Widow Piper's Tavern.

Geography and Location

Shippensburg is located in the southern part of central Pennsylvania. Most of the town is in Cumberland County, but a small part extends into Franklin County.

Main Roads

U.S. Route 11 goes through the middle of town as King Street. This road leads northeast 20 miles (32 km) to Carlisle. Carlisle is the county seat for Cumberland County. US 11 also goes southwest 11 miles (18 km) to Chambersburg, the county seat for Franklin County.

Pennsylvania Route 696 goes north out of Shippensburg as Earl Street and south as Fayette Street. It is 6 miles (10 km) north to Newburg and 3 miles (5 km) south to Exit 24 on Interstate 81. Other routes like Pennsylvania Route 533 and Pennsylvania Route 174 also connect Shippensburg to nearby towns and highways.

Water and Land

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Shippensburg has a total area of about 2.03 square miles (5.2 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water. Gum Run flows through the center of town. It then becomes Middle Spring Creek, which flows north into Conodoguinet Creek. This creek is part of the larger Susquehanna River system. Outside of town, the area is mostly fields, pastures, and some forests.

Climate in Shippensburg

People of Shippensburg

In 2000, there were 5,586 people living in Shippensburg. There were 2,397 households. About 94% of the people were White. About 3.4% were African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people. About 1.15% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 20.9% of households had children under 18. About 34.5% were married couples. The average household had 2.32 people. The average family had 2.87 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 17.6% were under 18. About 28.5% were between 18 and 24. About 15.6% were 65 or older. The average age was 28 years old.

Fun Festivals

Shippensburg hosts two big events each year.

Shippensburg Community Fair

Every year, in the last full week of July, the Shippensburg Community Fair takes place. It started in 1958. The fair is known as Pennsylvania's largest "bi-county" fair. This means it serves two counties. The fair has farm exhibits, a craft show, food, and carnival rides.

Corn Festival

Every summer, on the last Saturday of August, Shippensburg holds its Corn Festival. This event brings artists and sellers from the region to set up booths downtown. The downtown area is closed to cars for most of the day. Around 60,000 to 70,000 people usually attend the festival each year. In 2021, the Corn Festival was held at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds.

Education in Shippensburg

The schools in Shippensburg are part of the Shippensburg Area School District.

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a major college in the area. Part of the university's land is within the borough limits.

Famous People from Shippensburg

Many interesting people have connections to Shippensburg:

• Sujatha Baliga – She is a director for the Restorative Justice Project. She also won a special award called the MacArthur Fellow.
• Andy Enfield – He is the head coach for the men's basketball team at Southern Methodist University.
• John Hamilton – He was an actor who played Perry White in the 1950s TV show Adventures of Superman.
• Thomas "Doc" Martin – A well-known doctor from Taos, New Mexico.
• William W. McCammon – He received the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War.
• Andrew G. Miller – He was a Pennsylvania State Senator from 1869 to 1871.
• Edward Shippen III – He was a mayor of Philadelphia and helped start Princeton University.
• Samuel D. Sturgis – He was a general in the Union Army during the Civil War. A town in South Dakota is named after him.

See also

In Spanish: Shippensburg para niños