Carlisle is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) west by southwest of Harrisburg, the State capital. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 17,970. It is the county seat6 of Cumberland County.
History
Carlisle was laid out and settled by Scots-Irish immigrants in 1751 and became the center of their settlement in the Cumberland Valley. Carlisle was initially part of Lancaster
County. Carlisle was incorporated as a borough on April 13,
1782. As authorized by a general borough law of 1851 (amended in
1852), the government is administered by a burgess and a borough council.
In 1787 Carlisle was the scene of a riot instigated by Anti-Federalists in response to a planned march in favor of the US constitution. In 1794 during the Whiskey Rebellion, the troops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey
assembled in Carlisle under the leadership of George Washington. The borough was
shelled by the Confederates on July 1,
1863, during the Battle of Carlisle, part of the
Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil
War. Carlisle was well-known at one time for the Carlisle Indian
Industrial School, which trained Native Americans from all
over the United States; one of its notable graduates was athletic hero
Jim Thorpe.
Carlisle is also home to Dickinson College, established in 1773 and later chartered in 1783, making it the first college founded in the newly
recognized United States. The Dickinson School of Law, founded in
1834 and affiliated with Dickinson College until 1914, is the fifth
oldest law school in the United States and the oldest law school in Pennsylvania. It remained independent for over 80 years,
until it merged with The Pennsylvania State University in 1997, becoming
the Penn State Dickinson School of Law.
The U.S. Army War College, located at the Carlisle Barracks, caters to high-level military personnel and civilians and prepares them for
strategic leadership responsibilities. The Carlisle Barracks is the oldest installation in the United States Army and Army's most senior military educational institution. Carlisle is home of the
U.S. Army Military Heritage Museum.
General Information
- ZIP codes: 17013, 17015 (17015 was added July 1, 2006 due to "population expansion")
- Area code: 717
- Local phone code: 218, 226, 240, 241, 243, 245, 249, 254, 258, 374, 385, 386, 422, 440, 448, 486, 609, 701, 713, 960
Geography
Carlisle is located at 40°12′9″N, 77°11′42″W (40.202553,
-77.195016).1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total
area of 14.1 km² (5.4 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 17,970 people, 7,426 households, and 4,010 families residing
in the borough. The population density was 1,277.8/km² (3,308.9/mi²). There were
8,032 housing units at an average density of 571.1/km² (1,479.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 88.93%
White, 6.92% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population.
There were 7,426 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.0% were
non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 17.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1%
from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $33,969, and the median income for a family was $46,588. Males had a
median income of $34,519 versus $25,646 for females. The per capita income for the
borough was $21,394. About 8.6% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
Colleges and universities
Other
Carlisle is famous to many people for its car shows, put on regularly by Carlisle Events
throughout the spring, summer, and fall at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. In addition to normal shows
there are speciality shows, among which are GM, Ford, Chrysler, Import/Kit Car and truck shows. Carlisle is also the home of
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB)
Carlisle also is home of the headquarters of the Giant Food supermarkets in
Pennsylvania
References
- ^ a b c (1963) Who Was Who
in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.
External links
Coordinates:
40.202553° N 77.195016°
W
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