Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Market Square During The Civil War
Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 25, 2017
1. Market Square During The Civil War Marker
By the 1860s, many railroad lines met in Harrisburg. Agricultural products, industrial raw materials, and factory-finished goods moved through Harrisburg on the way to every part of the nation. Throughout the Civil War, the Union army depended on the city as a hub for transporting troops and supplies.
Harrisburg’s economic and social life centered on Market Square. The Jones House, on the southeast corner of Second and Market Streets, was the city’s foremost hotel, providing accommodations for the prince of Wales, Tom Thumb, President Andrew Johnson, General Ulysses S. Grant and Admiral David Farragut. Surviving buildings from the Civil War include the former Dauphin Deposit Bank’s classical Greek temple and the Market Square Presbyterian Church, with its 193-foot spire.
On February 22, 1861, president-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped in Harrisburg on the way to his inauguration, and spoke to a joint session of the legislature in the capitol. Having been warned of an assassination plot in Baltimore, Lincoln left the Jones House and traveled secretly by train overnight from Harrisburg to Washington. Depicted as a coward in the press, Lincoln would expose himself to danger throughout the remainder of the war, until he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre.
Erected by Pennsylvani
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #17 Andrew Johnson, the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant, and the Pennsylvania Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is February 22, 1861.
Location. 40° 15.583′ N, 76° 52.933′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. Marker is at the intersection of North 2nd Street and Market Street, on the left when traveling west on North 2nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 N 2nd St, Harrisburg PA 17101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Capital Of The Keystone State Preserved! (within shouting distance of this marker); Prelude To Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Market Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King City Government Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Union Trust Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Hilton Harrisburg and Towers (within shouting distance of this marker); The Claster Building (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 25, 2017
2. Market Square During The Civil War Marker
Marker location looking southeasterly. Market Street Prysbyterian Church is at the right background.
Also see . . . Market Square, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on April 15, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 25, 2017
3. Market Square During The Civil War Marker
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Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 25, 2017
4. Market Square During The Civil War Marker
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Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 410 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 27, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
