Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Hanover Junction is a small unincorporated community
in south-central York County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
, near the borough of Seven Valleys
. The junction serves as a rest stop on the York County Heritage Rail Trail
.
of the Northern Central Railway
and the Hanover Branch Railroad
, a hotel and a few houses were erected to serve the needs of railroad passengers and local workers. Following the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg
, Hanover Junction was a major route for the transport of wounded soldiers from Gettysburg
to hospitals in Baltimore, Harrisburg
, York
, and other Northern towns. A bust of President Abraham Lincoln
and a historical marker commemorate his change of trains at the junction en route to Gettysburg to deliver the 1863 Gettysburg Address
.
Later, small industries flourished in the Hanover Junction area, but with the demise of the railroad traffic in the mid-20th century, the depot
was abandoned. It was restored to its Civil Wa
r appearance in 2003 and reopened as a museum. A quartet of Civil War cannon commemorate the region's participation in the Gettysburg Campaign
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in south-central York County
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the borough of Seven Valleys
Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania
Seven Valleys is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 517 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Seven Valleys is located at ....
. The junction serves as a rest stop on the York County Heritage Rail Trail
York County Heritage Rail Trail
The York County Heritage Rail Trail is long and runs from York, Pennsylvania, south to the Mason-Dixon line. The trail was built in 1999 by York County Government and connects with the Northern Central Railroad Trail in Maryland, which extends for another to Ashland...
.
History
Established in the 1851 as a railroad junctionJunction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
of the Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
and the Hanover Branch Railroad
Hanover Branch Railroad
The Hanover Branch Railroad Company was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. The company was incorporated on March 16, 1847 and began operating trains in 1852...
, a hotel and a few houses were erected to serve the needs of railroad passengers and local workers. Following the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Hanover Junction was a major route for the transport of wounded soldiers from Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
to hospitals in Baltimore, Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, and other Northern towns. A bust of President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and a historical marker commemorate his change of trains at the junction en route to Gettysburg to deliver the 1863 Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
.
Later, small industries flourished in the Hanover Junction area, but with the demise of the railroad traffic in the mid-20th century, the depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
was abandoned. It was restored to its Civil Wa
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
r appearance in 2003 and reopened as a museum. A quartet of Civil War cannon commemorate the region's participation in the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
.
External links
- Blakesee, R. G., Hanover Junction photographs at nycivilwar.us/hanjunc.html. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- Shaffer, Roger E., History of Hanover Junction. Retrieved 2008-11-07.