Wrightsville Borough History and Fantastic Views

Located along the western banks of the Susquehanna River, sits York County’s picturesque Wrightsville Borough.

Incorporated in 1834, the Borough of Wrightsville was named for early pioneer John Wright. Wright was a Quaker who first came to the area in 1724 to explore the land and preach to the local Native Americans.

In 1730, he was granted a patent to operate a ferry across the river. A ferry “house” was also built, as well as a tavern on the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River. The twostory log tavern, operated by John Wright, Jr. until 1834, consisted of a large room on either end connected by a passageway. The ferry, which was powered by animals, was the very first means of crossing the broad and sometimes unfriendly river.

When John Jr. married, he moved to York County’s western shore at Wright's Ferry West (later to be named
Wrightsville) and built another ferry house and tavern.1

In June 1863, rumors of a military invasion of Pennsylvania by the main Confederate army under
General Robert E. Lee was in the air. Union forces deliberately burned the Wrightsville Bridge to prevent
Confederate troops from crossing the Susquehanna River. The bridge, a vital link between Wrightsville and
Columbia in Lancaster County, was set ablaze after an attempt to demolish it with explosives failed. The
burning of the bridge was a significant event during this campaign, hindering the Confederate advance and
preventing them from reaching Lancaster and potentially Philadelphia. This came to be famously known as the
“Gettysburg Campaign.”

A wonderful space for hiking the trails and enjoying the bucolic setting, is the Samuel S. Lewis State Park. This 85-acre state park is dominated by Mt. Pisgah, an 885-foothigh ridge that separates Kreutz Creek Valley to the north and East Prospect Valley to the south. The park landscape also consists of mowed grass fields on the northern and eastern park slopes, a pine plantation in the southern area, and mature woods in the western section.

Samuel S. Lewis State Park was named in honor of the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of
Forest and Waters from 1951-1954, who, at the end of his term, donated 35 acres of his farm to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition to Lewis’ farm, the Commonwealth purchased 35 acres of adjacent farmland to complete the initial Samuel Lewis State Park tract. The park opened to the public in 1954. Since then, DCNR purchased an additional 14 acres of land during 1999.

With its historic architecture, and special place in history, the Wrightsville Borough is worth a visit. The John Wright
Restaurant, situated on Front Street, has tasty American fare, and a great view of the beautiful Susquehanna River.

1Source: Wikipedia