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Real Estate & Homes in Harrisburg - Pennsylvania - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania homes and communities
Harrisburg
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Harrisburg Background
Situated on the bank of the beautiful Susquehanna River, Harrisburg is a small, affordable city with big promise. Twice selected as an All-America City by the National Civic League, Harrisburg offers something for everyone. From the trendy metropolis to quiet suburban neighborhoods surrounded by gorgeous fertile farmland and wilderness, opportunities abound for singles, couples and families with young children.
Rising property values and plummeting unemployment and crime rates make Harrisburg a very livable city. The waterfront village and City Island provide a scenic backdrop for year-round activities and festivals. With the friendly flavor of the South, Harrisburg provides the economic and cultural vitality traditionally associated with the Northeast. The surprisingly low cost of living and rapidly developing commercial spectrum make city life attractive again. Centrally located near Baltimore; Washington D.C.; New York City; and Philadelphia, you are never far from where you want to be.
 
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Harrisburg Fast Facts
Location: Harrisburg is located in south-central Pennsylvania, about 100 miles west of Philadelphia
*Total area: 11.44 square miles
*Population: 48,950
*Housing units: 24,314
Average annual rainfall: 41.45 inches
Average temperatures: 76ºF in summer, 30ºF in winter
*Information provided by 2000 Census
 
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Harrisburg History
Settled by Native Americans before 6000 BC, Harrisburg was first explored by the French and Swedes in the 1600s. The mouth of the Cumberland Valley where it intersects with the Susquehanna River marked long-established paths of the Shawnee and Delaware tribes. The first permanent European settlement took the form of a trading post and tavern built by John Harris Sr. shortly after 1704. Harris had originally immigrated to Philadelphia from Yorkshire, England. A land grant of 800 acres brought him to what is now the site of downtown Harrisburg. His son, John Harris Jr., the founder of Harrisburg, created the ferry service giving the village its original name of Harris’ Ferry. The mansion house of John Harris Jr. is now open to the public as a museum. Located on Front Street, which runs along the river, this structure set the prestigious tone for the city’s architecture.
In 1785, William McClay (son-in-law of John Harris Jr. and one of Pennsylvania’s first U.S. senators) laid out the original plan for the village. This planning included setting aside four acres to be used as the site of the state capitol for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That same year, Dauphin County was carved out of Lancaster County and named for the crown prince and heir to the French throne in honor of France’s sympathy for the United States during the American Revolution.
Incorporated as a borough in 1791, the move of the state capital from Philadelphia to Harrisburg was completed in 1812. The first bridge to span the 3,000-foot Susquehanna River was a covered bridge named the Camelback, which was completed in 1817 on the site of the present-day Market Street Bridge. This fanned the rapid growth of the city, linking rural farmers to the shipping and trading opportunities downtown.
As the state capital and given its proximity (40 miles north) to the Mason-Dixon Line, Harrisburg witnessed much of the Civil War. Camp Curtain held the most troops in service of any union or confederate station. The war finally came to an end in nearby Gettysburg. Harrisburg now holds the National Civil War Museum, the largest museum in the world focused on the Civil War and the only one to include both Union and Confederate artifacts.
Following the war, the city continued to expand with new railroads boosting the manufacturing industries. In 1888, the Walnut Street Bridge was completed, and it survives today as the oldest steel-span bridge in the nation. In 1891, the streetcars were electrified, further facilitating transportation.
The original State Capitol building was destroyed by fire in 1897 to be replaced in 1906 by the new Capitol dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt. The beginning of the century marked the launch of the “City Beautiful Movement,” improving city parks and public works systems. New water filtration systems, paved streets, the damming of the Susquehanna and the construction of the famous river wall steps led the city in becoming such a resident-minded place. The '20s and '30s gave rise to the Penn Harris and Harrisburger Hotels, as well as Bellevue Park, Central Pennsylvania’s first planned community. With the birth of the Harrisburg Symphony and the Community Theatre, the cultural life of the city took flight.
 
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Attractions
The former home of Gov. William Findlay is now home to the Art Association of Harrisburg. Established in 1926, the Art Association provides studio space for working artists, classes for the community, year-round exhibits and a gallery store. The Rose Lehrman Arts Center, part of the Harrisburg Area Community College, is also a wonderful resource for artists and art aficionados.
Theater is alive the whole year through in Harrisburg, with venues including Harrisburg Community Theatre, Open Stage of Harrisburg, Theatre Harrisburg and the Gamut Classic Theatre in Strawberry Square. For those with music in their veins, there are clubs, jazz concerts and the Harrisburg Symphony. During the warmer months, the whole family can enjoy free concerts at Riverfront Park.
The Harrisburg Senators AA Minor League Baseball team and the Harrisburg Heat, a professional indoor soccer league, keep the games alive in Central PA. The Farm Show Complex also houses the Pennsylvania Farm Show Agricultural Exposition; the Eastern Sports, Boat, Camping, Travel and Outdoor Show; the Keystone State Games; and the Penn National Horse Show. In addition there is the Penn National Race Course and Water Golf on City Island.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is home to state and national history, Civil War exhibits, the Curiosity Connection for kids 7 and under and a planetarium. The museum is centrally located next to the Capitol Building.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission houses state records and digital archives.
The John Harris Mansion is a colonial structure that was built in 1766 of local limestone. Simon Cameron, President Lincoln’s first secretary of war, bought the home in 1863 and transformed it into an elaborate Victorian mansion. In 1941, Cameron's heirs gave the house to the Historical Society to be opened to the public as a museum.
Other museums include Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, the Doll House Museum, the Fire Museum of Greater Harrisburg, and the National Civil War Museum.
 
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Outdoor Recreation
Riverfront Park is a five-mile-long ribbon of walkway along the Susquehanna River, punctuated by beautiful gardens, monuments, plazas and public art. The park offers a perfect place to walk, jog, bike ride, or just sit and contemplate the water.
The West Hanover Winery is a wonderful place to taste the fruits of nature, and the Friends of Wildwood Lake Sanctuary is a beautiful place for a day hike or a picnic.
There is always something happening at City Island, 63 acres of parkland developed in 1987. It's home to the Riverside Stadium, Skyline Sports Complex, River Side Village Park, City Island Railroad, a carousel, marinas, a swimming area and even a miniature golf course.
The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat gives frequent tours, departing from City Island.
 
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Harrisburg Architecture
History has been beautifully preserved in Harrisburg’s impressive colonial, Victorian and gothic architecture. Structures of particular note include:
- The State Capitol, completed in 1906 after a fire destroyed the original structure. An Italian Renaissance-style statehouse, the Capitol houses not only state government but also collections of art and sculpture. The dome of the Capitol, modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, rises 272 feet and weighs 52 million pounds. President Theodore Roosevelt described it during the 1906 dedication as “the handsomest building I ever saw.” Other buildings on the Capital complex include the Pennsylvania State Library, the Forum Building and the State Law Library.
- The Dauphin County Courthouse, South Front and Market Street. This impressive Art Deco-styled structure was built in 1942 and is distinguished by the front fountain pool and the statue of “Youth Crushing Evil.”
- Governor’s Row, North Front Street between Strawberry and Walnut Streets. These townhouses date from 1812 through 1840 and are named after the governors and their families who occupied their stately quarters.
- Harrisburg Transportation Center, South Fourth and Chestnut Street. Erected between 1884 and 1937 as the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, the structure now serves as a busy Amtrak station.
- Kunkel Building, 301 Market St. Originally constructed as a bank, this building with its unusual white glazed terra cotta exterior is now home to the Susquehanna Art Museum.
- Lochiel Hotel, 227 Market St., built in 1836.
- Original Dauphin Deposit Bank, 213 Market St., constructed in 1835 in the Greek Revival design. This building has been stunningly maintained and still serves as a bank today.
- James McCormick Mansion, 101 N. Front St., built in 1869.
 
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Dining
Harrisburg offers a true urban blend of culinary experiences. Whether you want to sit back and read with a cup of coffee or treat your special someone to an elegant evening on the town, you will find a wide selection of restaurants, bistros and cafés nestled in the city’s historically preserved buildings.
Be sure not to miss:
- Mangia Qui (on North Street): Italian and Mediterranean-influenced menu
- Zephyr Express (on North Street): Upscale eatery
- Zia’s Trattoria (on Second Street): Italian and American cuisine
- The Fire House Restaurant (on Second Street): Housed in the restored Hope Station Building and serving American and Neo-continental fare
- Mezzaluna (on Second Street): Exquisite Italian fine dining
 
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Business and Employment
Harrisburg functions as a vital center for the federal and state governments; transportation, communication and distribution companies; and electronics design and manufacture. This metropolitan area serves as the corporate headquarters for several world companies, including Hershey Foods Corp., the leading North American manufacturer of chocolate and related confections; and the AMP Division of Tyco Electronics Corp., the largest passive-electronics components supplier in the world. Tyco also designs and manufactures leading-edge wireless and fiber-optic active components.
In addition to the large healthcare industry, Harrisburg is home to Penn National Insurance, Merchants and Businessmen’s Mutual Insurance Company, and Nationwide Insurance. A vast network of public and private schools, colleges and universities offer the education professional numerous employment options. A healthy legal community and numerous media outlets and publications are accompanied by Gannett Flemming, Inc. and Brinjac Engineering — founded in 1955 and repeatedly named one of the Top 500 U.S. Design Firms by Engineering News Record.
The growing artistic community and booming retail market not only provide alternative employment, but also build the cultural character and livability of the city. In addition, Harrisburg also houses a large IBM operation.
 
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Education
Harrisburg offers numerous opportunities for education and academic study, including professional, legal and medical training.
Area colleges and universities include:
- Harrisburg Area Community College, founded in 1964 as Pennsylvania’s first community college.
- The Dixon University Center of the State System of Higher Education, a consortium of state system universities and three private affiliated institutions organized to serve the graduate level and professional education needs of south-central Pennsylvania.
- Penn State Harrisburg (Middletown), founded in 1966. The university operates the Penn State Downtown Center, established in 1989, and the Eastgate Center, established in 1991.
- Temple University Harrisburg, a satellite of Temple University in Philadelphia.
- Dickinson College (Carlisle), established in 1783 as the first college chartered by the United States.
- The Dickinson School of Law of the PA State University (Carlisle), founded in 1834 as the oldest law school in Pennsylvania.
- Widener University School of Law
- Widener University School of Nursing
- Academy of Medical Arts and Business
Where is Harrisburg?
Written by Erin Johncox exclusively for HomesParadise.com.
(1) Photo by Erin Johncox
(2) Photo courtesy of www.harrisburgpa.gov.
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