Chambersburg

Chambersburg, borough (town), seat (1784) of Franklin county, southern Pennsylvania, U.S., in the Cumberland Valley, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Harrisburg. The site was settled in 1730 by Benjamin Chambers, who built sawmills and gristmills and a stockade (Fort Chambers) there for protection against Indians. Laid out in 1764, the name Chambersburg was adopted in 1784. The abolitionist John Brown maintained his headquarters there while planning his raid in 1859 on Harpers Ferry, Virginia...