Quintessential Pennsylvania

CRAFTON - Founded 1890.  Created out of Chartiers Township and incorporated as a borough in 1892.  Suburban community west of Downtown Pittsburgh.  Named after Charles C. Craft, a frontier attorney.  Crafton is currently home to about 6,000 residents. How To Get There:

CONNOQUENESSING - Founded 1792, from a Native American term for "a long way straight". Formerly named Petersville, after founding settler Peter McKinney, the village was renamed Connoquenessing in 1871. The village incorporated as a borough in 1898 and found prosperity from the oil booms of the late 19th Century. At one time, there were over producing 70 oil wells in Connoquenessing. How to Get There: Sources and Links: Connoquenessing Borough - About Connoquenessing Borough

  CHURCHTOWN - Founded 1740. Named for the prevalence of churches in early days. Churchtown also boasts a lot of history. Located in Caernarvon Township in eastern Lancaster County, the village of Churchtown boasts a lot of history. The first settlers of the oldest Amish settlement still in existence in Pennsylvania, the Lancaster Amish settlement, first settled near Churchtown. Of course, there are also the churches, with the Bangor Episcopal Church, Caernarvon Presbyterian Church and Edward Davies House having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. How to Get There: Sources and Links: PlaceAndSee.com - Churchtown

COCHRANVILLE - Founded 1725. Formerly "Cochran's Inn". Named for James Cochran, early settler. In 1724, James Cochran, after whom the village in West Fallowfield Township has been named for, came to the Octoraro Valley with a small band of Scotch-Irish settlers and opened a roadside inn next to the Shawnee Indian camp. When the post office was established, the name was spelled Cochransville, but the "s" was removed by the United States Post Office Department in 1884. How to Get There: Sources and Links: Cochranville History - Place Names

CONYNGHAM - Founded 1805. Named for Conyngham family. The Conyngham family includes the storied American privateer Gustavus Conyngham , who seized British vessels during the American Revolution, as well as Redmond Conyngham , who served in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

COLLEGEVILLE - Founded 1896.  Home to Ursinus College , Collegeville gets its name as a result of the location of Ursinus's two predecessors, Freeland Seminary and Pennsylvania Female College.  Collegeville is the third name for the area surrounding the college.  It was first named Perkiomen Bridge after the completion of the still standing bridge in 1799.  In 1848, the village was renamed Freeland after the Freeland Seminary of Perkiomen Bridge was established by Henry Hunsicker. (1) In 1869, a train station in the Freeland area was named Collegeville.  Finally in 1896, the town of Collegeville was incorporated on June 9th. (1) The current Collegeville marker is a result of the restoration efforts of the Keystone Marker Trust .  In 2013, the Borough of Collegeville and the Keystone Marker Trust installed three new replica Keystone Town Markers.  Prior to the replacements, two markers had been removed/gone missing and one other was badly damage...

COLUMBUS - Founded 1800.  Like many other towns that share the name nationwide, the Warren County community of Columbus was named after Christopher Columbus. Photo taken by Doug Kerr.

Camptown was originally settled in 1793 by Job Camp , an early settler and carpenter by trade who came from Connecticut. Job Camp built the original homes that made up Camptown and as of 2004, one of his original barns that he built in Camptown was still standing. There are a few homes and a church of more recent vintage that made up today's settlement. Camptown, Pennsylvania is located some five miles north of Wyalusing in eastern Bradford County at the junction of PA 409 and PA 706. The small town may be best known for the inspiration behind Stephen Foster's classic American folk song Camptown Races .  In modern times, instead of a minstrel song, Camptown Races is the name of a local running race that mixes road and trail running. Sources & Links: (1) Tom Camp. " Person Sheet for Job Camp ." Accessed on August 8, 2017. (2) University of Pittsburgh. " Stephen Foster Biography ." Accessed on August 8, 2017. (3) ThoughtCo. " The '...

The Washington County Town of Claysville is like many along the National Road.  Small and rural with US 40 serving as its main street.  Numerous old homes that date to the 18th and 19th centuries. Small and unique businesses that celebrate the heritage of the National Road. Downtown Claysville along US 40. Claysville was founded by John Purviance.  Purviance started a tavern in the general vicinity of the town around 1800.  When he learned that the plans for the National Road had the road going near his tavern, he laid out the town.  The town's name of Claysville in in honor of Henry Clay who is considered by many as the " Father of the National Road ." One of many historic homes within Claysville. Claysville annually celebrates the National Road with their " Claysville Pike Days " held the third weekend of May.  This festival is one of many festivals along the National Road during National Road Festival, a celebration of the National R...

CENTERVILLE - Founded 1821.  In the early days of the National Road, Centerville was a key stopping point between Uniontown and Washingon, hence the name.  Within the town and just outside of its limits are several historic inns and taverns that date to the National Road.