Carlisle, Pennsylvania

I spent three years of my life in the lovely, historic town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Although it’s been nearly 24 years since I left there, I still love the place. I still visit every opportunity that I get.

My alma mater, Dickinson College, was founded in 1773 by Dr.Benjamin Rush, the famous Philadelphia physician and patriot (Dr. Rush signed the Declaration of Independence). The main building on campus, Old West, was burned by the British during the War of 1812. The college was visited by the Confederates in the days just before the Battle of Gettysburg, and was shelled by Jeb Stuart’s horse artillery on the night of July 1, 1863. We boast a chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and a President of the United States (albeit probably the worst of both–Taney and Buchanan) among our alumni. I am a member of the College’s Class of 1983, meaning that I graduated as part of the 210th graduating class (old friend and mentor Brian Pohanka was a member of the Class of 1979). Matt Pinsker, who, along with fellow blogger Brian Dirck, is one of the finest of the current generation of Lincoln scholars, and the holder of the Brian C. Pohanka Chair of Civil War History, teaches at Dickinson. We’re lucky to have him.

Next to the college’s campus is the Dickinson School of Law. Until just a few years ago, the School of Law was completely independent–it is not affiliated with the College in any fashion. However, during the 1990’s, Penn State University absorbed it, as Penn State did not have a law school of its own and craved one. By absorbing the School of Law, Penn State was able to acquire a well-respected and long-established law school, complete with its own facilities (although there has been some talk about Penn State moving it out of Carlisle and up to its main campus in State College, which would REALLY be a tragedy).

The town also has a great deal of history. It was founded in the 1750’s as a supply post for the British army. It played an important role during the French and Indian War, and is the home of the Carlisle Barracks, which is the site of the United States Army War College and the U. S. Army Military History Institute. The Barracks were an important training depot where cavalry recruits learned their trade. Fitz Lee’s troopers set the place ablaze on the night of July 1, 1863. The Barracks also housed the Carlisle Indian School, famed for Jim Thorpe, considered the world’s greatest athlete of his era.

Molly Pitcher, of Battle of Monmouth fame, is buried in the town cemetery. The town also features an excellent museum and historical society dedicated to the county’s rich historic legacy.

There were several stops on the Underground Railroad in Carlisle–my fraternity used to use one of those sites to initiate our pledges. Carlisle is the county seat of Cumberland County. The town is filled with beautiful, historic structures such as you would expect from a town founded in the mid-eighteenth century. The handsome old courthouse on the town square still proudly shows damage from one of James Breathed’s guns when the Confederate horse artillery shelled the town that awful night in July 1863.

There are a number of Pennsylvania historical markers around the town, including several dedicated to the Gettysburg Campaign, and there is also a very handsome monument to Cumberland County’s contributions to the Union victory in the Civil War on the town square, right next to the old courthouse.

Although Carlisle is a small town of only 25,000 or so, it’s one of my very favorite places, and a place I never miss visiting when I’m in the area. It’s one of those wonderful spots where you can literally feel the history as you walk through the town. In particular, it has a rich Civil War legacy, and I commend it to you. It’s well worth a visit.