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A−History
History · Highspire

Highspire dates to 1814, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #336 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Highspire High School. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1830.

1814founded
1on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Highspire’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Highspire began

When was Highspire founded?

1814

Highspire dates its founding to 1814 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1830.

First census: 172 in 18302020 census: 2,741212 years

How historic is Highspire?

A−

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1829.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Highspire’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Highspire is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #336 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Highspire’s overall grade.
Founding era1814, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194019.7% of homes (±7.7) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register1 listing, 3.7 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 79%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 68%

Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Highspire’s 3.7 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.7 points). Two sources give 1814.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Highspire’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 19067 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1998. Watch Highspire change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1814: 212 years of Highspire.Old housesHalf of Highspire’s homes were built before 1964.
★ What stands out · On the map

Highspire on the map, 1906 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Highspire. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Highspire on the 1906 USGS mapHighspire on the 1943 USGS mapHighspire on the 1956 USGS mapHighspire on the 1963 USGS mapHighspire on the 1972 USGS mapHighspire on the 1987 USGS mapHighspire on the 1998 USGS map1906New Cumberland sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Highspire.

Timeline

Highspire, 1814 to 1933

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1814
    FoundingHighspire is established
  3. 1829Post officeThe High Spire post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1916Born hereDon Keefer is born here
  7. 1933In the archiveHistoric American Buildings Survey, 1935 Photocopy, PORTRAIT OF COL. BURD. - Tinian
The story

How Highspire came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Highspire.

Read it all →

In 1814, the town was laid out by two Germans named Barnes and Doughterman who emigrated from a small village named Spire in Bavaria. It is debated as to whether the town was named for the high spire of the church that could be seen from the Susquehanna River, or for the village of Spire. The town's location along the Pennsylvania Canal system and Susquehanna River made it a prime location for a variety of industries including logging, candy and potato chip factories, whiskey distilling, boat building, knitting and milling.

The Highspire High School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Highspire in 1907

Passages that mention Highspire, cut from the printed page as they were published.

his own house, and during a revival service among the converts was Jacob Roop, who was later called to the ministry and preached at private houses and at the old school house. In 1842 the organization was perfected at Highspire. It was supplied by the circuit one year and then made a station to be …
History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania1907 · page 253Read the page →
Read the text

his own house, and during a revival service among the converts was Jacob Roop, who was later called to the ministry and preached at private houses and at the old school house. In 1842 the organization was perfected at Highspire. It was supplied by the circuit one year and then made a station to be supplied by Jacob S. Kessler, who preached in the old school house, near where now stands the Pennsylvania depot. December, 1842, a good two-story brick house was dedicated. This was remodeled in 1879, ^'id in 1896

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Highspire, in Lower Swatara township, was first incorporated as a borough in February, 1867, but annulled April 8, 1868. But
History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania1907 · page 81Read the page →
Read the text

Highspire, in Lower Swatara township, was first incorporated as a borough in February, 1867, but annulled April 8, 1868. But

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.

By decade

Highspire, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s6 items
Historic American Buildings Survey, 1935 Photocopy, PORTRAIT OF COL. BURD. - Tinian1933Historic American Buildings Survey, 1935 Photocopy, P…HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 0 of 9) - Tinian1933HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 0 of 9) - TinianHABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 1 of 9) - Tinian1933HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 1 of 9) - TinianHABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 2 of 9) - Tinian1933HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 2 of 9) - TinianHABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 3 of 9) - Tinian1933HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 3 of 9) - TinianHABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 4 of 9) - Tinian1933HABS PA,22-HISPI.V,1- (sheet 4 of 9) - Tinian
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Historic American Buildings Survey, 1935 Photocopy, PORTRAIT OF COL. BURD. - Tinian
Retake this viewHistoric American Buildings Survey, 1935 Photocopy, PORTRAIT OF COL. BURD. - Tinian, 1933

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Highspire’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Highspire

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
Highspire High School
Highspire High School
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Late Gothic Revival1
Highspire High SchoolLate Gothic Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Highspire, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0001850190019502000Peak: 2,999

Between 172 and 2,999 people in every census since 1830.

16 censuses, 1830–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Highspire’s Wikipedia page.

Help out

Finish Highspire’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHistoric American Buildings Survey, 193…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Lower Swatara Township2 historic placesB+SteeltonIts storyB−

Questions about Highspire’s history

What year was Highspire founded?

In 1814, according to Wikidata. Highspire’s post office opened in 1829, and the census of 1830 counted 172 people here.

How does Highspire rank for history?

Highspire is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #336 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Highspire?

One place: the Highspire High School (listed 1990).

How old are the homes in Highspire?

20% of Highspire’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.7 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1964.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (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 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.