The story
Read it all →How Carlisle came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Carlisle.
Carlisle was named after the city of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Carlisle post office has been in operation since 1816.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Carlisle
Carlisle’s post office opened in 1812, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1905 on and the census since 1860.
1812first post office
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Quick answers
How Carlisle began
When was Carlisle founded?
1812
The Carlisle post office opened in 1812, the earliest record of the town by name.
First census: 459 in 18602020 census: 625214 years
Founding year: the first Carlisle post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
What stands out about Carlisle’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Carlisle are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 2,660 in 2000; 625 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1905 to 1915, drew every building in Carlisle.Deep rootsA post office since 1812: 214 years of Carlisle.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Carlisle’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Carlisle’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.People over time
Carlisle, census by census
Peaked at 2,660 in 2000; 625 people lived here in 2020.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Carlisle’s Wikipedia page.
Every building
Carlisle, building by building, 1905–1915
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1905Sheet 1 of 1Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Carlisle, 1838–1905
Passages that mention Carlisle, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History and antiquities of Carlisle1838Read the page →
Read the text
During this year, the gratitude of his sovereign invested Andrew de Harcla, the governor of Carlisle, villi the Earldom of Carlisle, and (he office of bold Warden of the Marches. In addition to his gallant defence of the castle of Carlisle, he had earned himself fame by ins valour in vanquishing the Earl of Lancaster, John de Mowbray, and Roger de Clifford, at Boroughbridge,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History and antiquities of Carlisle1838Read the page →
Read the text
sent Sir William Selby, governor of that place, with a detachment of the garrison, who soon dispersed the invaders, and sent, those who fell into their hands to the castle at Carlisle. The two count vies being now united under the government of one monarch, and frontiertowns no longer necessary, King James reduced the garrisons at Carlisle and Berwick."']" This was in 1603. He
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Early history and growth of Carlisle1905 · page 5Read the page →
Read the text
with the garrisons assigned by the authorities in the year 1764, which explains to some extent the trials and difficulties attendant upon the early development of our now fertile Cumberland Valley in which the thriving town of Carlisle is situated. A number of lots in the new town were disposed of to prominent people, including such names as Alrichs, Armstrong, Albert, Boyd, Butler, Blair, Bell, Callender, Curry, Caldwell, Curran, Cummings, Dunning, Duncan, Douglas, Dobson, Gibson, Montgomery, McClure
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The centennial memorial of the Presbytery of Carlisle1889 · page 40Read the page →
Read the text
After leaving the Conococheague churches he preached for a time at Nottingham, Maryland, and then at York and Shrewsbury, in Pennsylvania, and. on the union of the Synods, in 1758, was called, April 20. 1759, to Carlisle, where he took charge of the congregation of Upper Pennsboro'. or Meeting House Springs. George Dufiield had just before this been called to Big Spring and the New Side congregation at Carlisle.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Carlisle, 1812 to 2000
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1812Post officeThe Carlisle post office opens
- 1825Born hereJohn L. Davis is born here
- 20th century
- 1943
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 21st century
- 2000CensusPopulation peaks at 2,660
By decade
Carlisle, decade by decade
Today1 recent
2016On the map
Carlisle on the map, 1943 to 1974
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Carlisle. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Carlisle sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Carlisle.
Questions about Carlisle’s history
What year was Carlisle founded?
The Carlisle post office opened in 1812, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.