Chambersburg

Chambersburg is a county seat borough where Conococheague Creek meets Falling Spring Creek, surrounded by farmland and rolling hills in the Cumberland Valley of South Central Pennsylvania. The town manages its own electric grid, gas lines, water supply, and sewer system independently, which allows direct oversight of these public utilities.

Benjamin Chambers built water mills in 1730 and established a settlement that became official with a land grant of about 162 hectares in 1734. Confederate troops set fire to the northern part of town on July 30, 1864, after residents refused to pay a ransom during the Civil War.

The Franklin County Heritage Center, housed in a 1915 marble bank building, presents exhibits about frontier life, architecture, and transportation through five thematic sections.

The Franklin County Heritage Center occupies a former marble bank building from 1915 and displays exhibits on frontier life, architecture, and transport across five themed sections. The town lies in the southern Cumberland Valley surrounded by farmland and gentle hills, making orientation and access straightforward.

The town has supplied its own electricity and gas for decades, which results in consistently lower rates than private providers in the region. Some streets in the old center still follow lot lines that were surveyed after the 1864 fire.