Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAR : Carlisle, Pennsylvania
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 seat[Geographic references#6GR6] 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 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 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 American Civil War. Carlisle was well-known at one time due to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which trained Native Americans from all over the United States. One of the notable graduates of this school 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 became associated with The Pennsylvania State University in 1997.
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.
General Information
- ZIP code: 17013
- Area code: 717
- Local phone code: 218, 226, 240, 241, 243, 245, 249, 254, 258, 374, 385, 386, 422, 440, 448, 609, 701, 713, 960
Geography
Carlisle is located at (40.202553, -77.195016)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 14.1 km² (5.4 mi²), all land.
Demographics
Demographics
| Borough of Carlisle Population by year [link] | |
| 1900 | 9,626 |
| 1910 | 10,303 |
| 1920 | 10,916 |
| 1940 | 13,984 |
| 1990 | 18,419 |
| 2000 | 17,970 |
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
- James Wilson – signer of the Declaration of Independence, twice elected to the Continental Congress, a major force in the drafting of the nation's Constitution.
- Jim Thorpe – considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports.
- Marianne Moore – was a Modernist American poet and writer.
- Molly Pitcher – heroine at the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolutionary War.
Colleges and universities
Other
Carlisle is famous to many people for its car shows, held regularly throughout the spring, summer, and fall at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. In addition to normal shows there are theme shows, among which are GM, Ford, Chrysler, Import/Kit Car and truck shows.External links
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