Thomas Butler
Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On this lot Thomas Butler had his home and gunshop about 1764; the latter still stands to the rear. Butler and five sons, all officers, served in the Revolution. Often referred to as the "Fighting Butlers."
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
About 1764, Thomas Butler set up his home and gunshop on this lot, the workshop still standing behind the house. When war came, Butler and his five sons all served as officers in the Revolution, earning the family its lasting nickname, the "Fighting Butlers." Their gunmaking trade tied the household directly to the arming of a rebellion.
Why it matters
The Butlers embody how frontier families of craftsmen threw themselves wholesale into the fight for independence, turning a local trade and a single household into a small army.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Appalachian Trail Museum13.1 mi away
- Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society13.7 mi away
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Related people
- · Thomas Butler
Related events
- · American Revolution
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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First Presbyterian Church
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Begun in 1757 and reckoned the oldest public building in Carlisle, the First Presbyterian Church grew from a congregation organized at Meeting House Springs back in 1734. Its walls witnessed history twice over: in 1774 townspeople gathered here to declare for American independence, and in 1794 President George Washington worshipped within them while rallying troops against the Whiskey Rebellion. Stone-built and enduring, it stands at the civic heart of the old frontier town.
Blaine House
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Major Andre
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