FRANKLIN COUNTY – This is the second in a three-part series looking back on the founding and growth of Franklin County, particularly in the Cumberland Valley area. In part one, we looked back into how the towns of Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg and Waynesboro were founded. In this next dive into the history of the county, we explore the area during the time of the American Revolution and how each town played its part.
Pennsylvania joins the fight for independence
As the American colonists grew further dejected about their relationship with England, a war for independence grew more likely. On April 19, 1775, the first shots were fired in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the start of a new nation had begun. The state of Pennsylvania would become the focal point for the defense of the capital, which at the time was Philadelphia. The Cumberland Valley was of great importance, not just supplying troops and militia, but for supplying food and provisions from the many acres of farmland and mills.
Thompson’s Rifle Battalion
A Pennsylvania Regiment of troops marched over 450 miles to Boston, in late June 1775 and joined Gen. George Washington’s army in August that same year. Leading a unit of troops to war was Capt. James Chambers, of Chambersburg, son of Col. Benjamin Chambers Jr. This unit would become known as “Thompson’s Rifle Battalion” and would evolve into the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, and Capt. Chambers would be promoted to colonel to lead them into many battles throughout the war. After the war, Chambers would build the Loudon Forge, the first iron works in what would become Franklin County. He would also serve as justice of the peace for seven years
Waynesboro gets its name, sort of
The town of Waynesboro had not yet been given its name when the Revolutionary War began. It was still a farming territory under the ownership of the Wallace family. When it came time to name the growing community in 1797, John Wallace Jr who had laid out the gridwork for the town sought to pay honor to one of the heroes of the American Revolution, Gen. Anthony Wayne. Wallace chose to call the territory Waynesburg, after the man who had earned the nickname “Mad Anthony” Wayne. He was known for his fierce personality and fearless leadership during the many campaigns he led his troops into.
Another hero immortalized
Gen. Anthony Wayne was not the only war hero in Franklin County to have a town named after him. Gen. Hugh Mercer would also be forever remembered for being the namesake of the town of Mercersburg. Mercer was a Scottish immigrant who moved to the Greencastle area in 1745 where he worked as a physician. He was a good friend of George Washington and served with him during the French and Indian War. After the war ended, Mercer moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1760 where he continued his medical practice. He served as a brigadier-general in the American Revolution where he fought during the New York campaigns and was instrumental in the legendary crossing of the Delaware during the Battle of Trenton on the day after Christmas 1776. When Mercersburg was founded four years later, the legendary doctor and war hero was a fitting choice to be its namesake.
Greencastle’s prominent citizen
Dr. Robert Johnston was another local friend of Gen. George Washington whose influence can still be felt in the Greencastle area to this day. Dr. Johnston was a war surgeon for the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion where he served under Col. William Irvine. He served with the army until the war’s end when he returned to his private practice until he was called upon again by his friend, now first President of the United States George Washington, during the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794. Johnston was born in Cumberland County and lived in what is now Greencastle-Antrim, where he built a home on Williamsport Pike. He was present in Yorktown when Lord Cornwallis surrendered his forces to the American Army.
Birth of the County
On Sept. 9, 1784, some 11 years after the war had ended, Franklin County separated from Cumberland County to become an independent county within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The newly renamed territory became the home of seven boroughs, Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Mont Alto, Orrstown, Waynesboro and parts of Shippensburg. In addition to the boroughs there are 10 towns that are classified as “census-designated places.” They are located within or close to the city lines of the boroughs. They include Blue Ridge Summit, Fayetteville, Fort Loudon, Guilford, Marion, Pen Mar, Rouzerville, Scotland, State Line and Wayne Heights.
Franklin County was so named in honor of founding father, ambassador and inventor Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). An eight-foot golden statue of the famous statesman once stood atop the Franklin County Courthouse. It was erected in 1865 at the conclusion of the Civil War and remained there until 1991. It now stands at a window in the Chambersburg Heritage Center where it gazes out over Courthouse Plaza.
In the final installment of this series, we will look back at Franklin County during the Civil War and the life that flourished after it.
