Episcopal Square
Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
This square was set apart by the Penns in 1751 for the Church of England; in continuous use since that time by St. John's Episcopal Church. In 1752, the first church building was erected.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1751, when Carlisle was still a raw county seat on Pennsylvania's western frontier, the Penn family set aside this square for the Church of England, and the first church building rose the following year. St. John's Episcopal congregation has worshipped on the ground ever since, an unbroken thread of community life stretching back before the Revolution. The grant reflects the proprietors' careful planning of Carlisle as an ordered outpost of colonial society.
Why it matters
It shows how the Penns knit religious and civic institutions into the very layout of their frontier towns, anchoring settlement at the colony's advancing edge.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Appalachian Trail Museum13.2 mi away
- Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society13.7 mi away
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Cumberland County
Carlisle, PA · est. 1982
Carved from Lancaster County in 1750, Cumberland County once stretched all the way to Pennsylvania's western frontier, a vast gateway for settlers pushing toward the Alleghenies. Its seat, Carlisle, was founded the following year and became a crucial staging point on the roads leading west. In the colonial and early national decades, this was the edge of English America, where the Great Wagon Road funneled families toward the interior.
Carlisle
Carlisle, PA · est. 1947
Laid out in 1751 as the seat of the newly formed Cumberland County, Carlisle sat at the edge of British settlement, a jumping-off point for traders, soldiers, and settlers pushing into the Pennsylvania backcountry. Its people answered the Revolution early, sending men to the first regiment of the Continental Army in 1775. In 1794 the town became a staging ground again when President Washington's forces mustered here to march west and put down the Whiskey Rebellion.
Carlisle
Carlisle, PA · est. 1947
Founded in 1751 as the seat of Cumberland County, Carlisle grew into one of Pennsylvania's key frontier towns, a staging point for movement into the interior. Its people supplied a contingent for the first regiment of the Continental Army in 1775, and in 1794 the federal march against the Whiskey Rebels set out from here. The town sat at the crossroads of the young nation's military and westward ambitions.
Carlisle
North Middleton Township, PA · est. 1947
Founded in 1751 as the seat of Cumberland County, Carlisle grew into one of Pennsylvania's key frontier towns, a staging point for movement into the interior. Its people supplied a contingent for the first regiment of the Continental Army in 1775, and in 1794 the federal march against the Whiskey Rebels set out from here. The town sat at the crossroads of the young nation's military and westward ambitions.