Editing Shippensburg, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
Shippensburg is the oldest community of the [[Cumberland Valley]], and the second oldest west of the [[Susquehanna River]] in Pennsylvania (after [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] to the east). In July 1730, 12 [[Scotch-Irish American|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 III|Edward Shippen]], a prominent resident of [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]] (and onetime mayor of [[Philadelphia]]) who obtained the patent to the land from the heirs of [[William Penn]]. Edward Shippen's granddaughter, [[Peggy Shippen]], was historically notable as the wife of General [[Benedict Arnold]], who betrayed the Continental Army by defecting to the British during the [[American Revolutionary War]].

In 1735, Samuel Perry built the [[Widow Piper's Tavern]], 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 [[Braddock Expedition|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]]. Over the next year, several buildings, a {{convert|70|ft|m|adj=mid|-deep}} well, and a log [[palisade]] were built. [[Fort Morris (Pennsylvania)|Fort Morris]] was garrisoned until 1759 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.{{cn|date=February 2025}} 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."<ref name = "Hunter">[http://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/OCA/Books2012-06/fortsonpennsylva00hunt/fortsonpennsylva00hunt.pdf Hunter, William Albert. ''Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier: 1753–1758,'' (Classic Reprint). Fb&c Limited, 2018]</ref>{{rp|451}}

[[Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania]] was founded in 1871 as a [[normal school]].

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.<ref>Stephen G. Warfel and Paul G. Marr, "The Discovery of Fort Morris, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania," Pennsylvania Archaeologist, 2010, 80(2):1-29</ref> 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.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The [[Shippensburg Historic District]], [[Dykeman's Spring]], the [[Benjamin Blythe Homestead]], [[Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania|Cumberland Valley State Normal School Historic District]], the [[Shippen House]], and [[Widow Piper's Tavern]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>