Carlisle City Map Poster

About Carlisle

American pioneer John Armstrong Sr. laid the plan for the settlement of Carlisle in 1751 and built his home at what is now the corner of Hanover Street and Penn Street, where he raised a family. The town was known as "Armstrong's Town", founded by an act of the Pennsylvania legislature during its session on February 20, 1753 that incorporated it as a borough with an official name to be determined later (the state legislature chose Carlisle on May 4). Armstrong named his colonial village "Carlisle" after Sir Gilbert Carlton, 7th Baronet who was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland in 1654; Lord Carleton had been Commander-in-Chief all British forces worldwide from 1664–1667 until being killed by falling masonry while inspecting fortifications at Chatham Dockyard just prior to peace negotiations ending both King Philip's War (1675–78) and The Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–67). He had led royal troops against Scottish Covenanters at Battle of Bothwell Bridge near Glasgow on 22 July 1679.