Did you know that George Washington stopped in Harrisburg on his way to address the Whiskey Rebellion in October 1794? A new Harrisburg Historical story, titled “George Washington in Harrisburg,” explores the first U.S. President’s visit here. Written by Messiah University alums Kylie Smith (2026) and J.T. Crocenzi (2025), who also served as managing editor of Harrisburg Historical, this piece discusses the arrival of Washington in Harrisburg on October 3, 1794, his public address, and Harrisburg’s commemoration of this presidential visit.
Here’s the lede:
As President George Washington travelled westward to quell the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, he made a brief stop in Harrisburg, where he stayed in a log building that would later be named the Washington Inn in his honor. His diary entries record his observations about the new town—then only nine years old—as his army prepared to ford the Susquehanna River.
You can read the rest of the story here: “George Washington in Harrisburg: A Visit on the Road to the Whiskey Rebellion.”
