Shippensburg in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Outsmarting the Confederates at McPherson and Cox's Hardware Store
Shippensburg Civil War Trail
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 27, 2024
1. Outsmarting the Confederates at McPherson and Cox's Hardware Store Marker
Inscription.
Outsmarting the Confederates at McPherson and Cox's Hardware Store. . In 1863, the eighteenth-century stone building on the left was John W. and Martha Skiles McPherson's home, and to the right stood a set-back wooden store that housed their business McPherson and Cox's hardware store. On the evening of June 23, 1863, with the Confederate army's arrival expected the following day, the McPhersons spent the night hiding their most valuable merchandise in the numerous fireplaces of their home. They wallpapered over the openings, completely concealing them from view. When the Confederates arrived, they purchased most of the store's inventory with their worthless scrip. However, they never discovered the hidden fireplaces. The McPhersons thus saved the business which they expanded after the war into the current two-story brick structure. The McPherson family continued operating the store until 1903. Though the enterprise subsequently changed owners and names, it has continued operating at this location ever since. It is Shippensburg's oldest business and Pennsylvania's oldest continuously operating hardware store. , Did you know? , According to local lore, after the Confederates purchased every thing in his store with Confederate scrip, John McPherson called to the Rebels, Here's a department which you didn't investigate. It was the store's inventory of coffin hardware. The Confederate leader is said to have replied, We want none of that, we've seen enough. , [Captions] , Top left: John W. McPherson , Bottom left: Martha S. McPherson , Right: McPherson and Cox's Hardware Store, c. 1880
In 1863, the eighteenth-century stone building on the left was John W. and Martha Skiles McPherson's home, and to the right stood a set-back wooden store that housed their business McPherson & Cox's hardware store. On the evening of June 23, 1863, with the Confederate army's arrival expected the following day, the McPhersons spent the night hiding their most valuable merchandise in the numerous fireplaces of their home. They wallpapered over the openings, completely concealing them from view. When the Confederates arrived, they purchased most of the store's inventory with their worthless scrip. However, they never discovered the hidden fireplaces. The McPhersons thus saved the business which they expanded after the war into the current two-story brick structure. The McPherson family continued operating the store until 1903. Though the enterprise subsequently changed owners and names, it has continued operating at this location ever since. It is Shippensburg's oldest business and Pennsylvania's oldest continuously operating hardware store.
Did you know?
According to local lore, after the Confederates purchased every thing in his store with Confederate scrip, John McPherson called to the Rebels, Here's a department which you didn't investigate. It was the store's inventory of coffin hardware. The Confederate
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leader is said to have replied, We want none of that, we've seen enough.
[Captions] Top left: John W. McPherson Bottom left: Martha S. McPherson Right: McPherson & Cox's Hardware Store, c. 1880
Erected by Shippensburg Historical Society Shippensburg Borough Historic Architectural Review Board Shippensburg Chamber of Commerce Shippensburg DOIT Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails March to Destiny Committee Shippensburg University History Department.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is June 23, 1863.
Location. 40° 3.016′ N, 77° 31.302′ W. Marker is in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, in Cumberland County. It is at the intersection of West King Street (Pennsylvania Route 533/696) and North Seneca Street, on the right when traveling west on West King Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 W King St, Shippensburg PA 17257, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania and in Greater Harrisburg. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 9, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
