History of Littlestown PA
Littlestown is one of the boroughs in Adams County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was founded by Peter Klein in the early 1760s and gained its first name as Petersburg. The town was later named as Kleine Stedtle by the German settlers who confused it with “Petersburg”, a neighboring town. We are proud to call Littlestown our second home as the top rated Littlestown painter.
The name ‘Littlestown’ came about later as a translation of “Kleine Stedtle” in German; this was in the year 1795. It is one of the oldest towns in Adams County that sat on 311 acres of land in the year 1760. Littlestown became a borough of Adams County after a court ruling on February 23, 1864.
Civil War
Littlestown PA played a major role in the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War. This happened in the mid-1863 when a calvary of army and corps camped at the town. The Army of the Northern Virginia and the Ewell’s Corps were crossing from the Maryland line to Pennsylvania when the division occurred.
Those wounded during the war were ambulance-driven to the railcars at Littlestown. It is where soldiers camped and took their wounded staff for treatment. During the war, Littlestown had great losses because fences were burned, livestock confiscated, crops destroyed, and fields damaged.
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Utilities
After Littlestown was incorporated into a borough on February 23, 1864, the town experienced major developments. The town electrification and installation of other public utilities occurred in 1897. Gas piping from the Columbia Gas station to this borough was accomplished about six years later.
After Littlestown became a borough in Adams County, town residents enjoyed public utilities such as water systems, piped gas, and electricity, among many others. The residents had access to a post office in 1795, telephone service in 1892, mail service in 1903 and a sewer system in 1948.
Transport
The residents of Littlestown made use of railroad and a trolley line as their means of transport. The railroad came to this town in the year 1858 and opened up a large industry, stores, hotels, and warehouses. The railroad made the expansion of the town possible and the town grew to double its initial size.
The trolley line connected Littlestown to the York, Hanover, and McSherrystown. The line was developed and used between the years 1908 to 1932 and it only came to end after automobiles replaced it. Transportation developed brought major developments to Littlestown and the population was on the rise.
Religion
Religion is vital in the history of any community and Littlestown is not an exemption. The Germans had created the Littlestown’s Christ Church (Reformed and Evangelical) Revolutionary War. The Catholic Church came to be in the year 1791 followed by other churches thereafter.
Littlestown was home to churches like St. Paul’s Lutheran, Redeemer’s, Centenary Methodist, United Brethern, St. John’s Lutheran, and the Bethel Assembly of God. The United Church of Christ is the first church to establish an orphanage in this town in the year 1919.
Conclusion
Littlestown is one of the boroughs in Adams County that are rich in history. A tour of this historic town will enlighten you of the happenings of this great town.