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Prior to the Civil War, Chambersburg was destined to become indirectly linked to well-know event; John Brown’s raid of Harpers Ferry. It was in 1859 when Brown and several of his men were in and out of Chambersburg during
the summer months. Mary Ritner ran a boarding house where Brown and his men met. Her husband was Abram Ritner, who was active with the Underground Railroad. At the beginning of the Civil War, Chambersburg was
like every other place in the North and South. Both sides believed they were right. One very unique piece of History with Chambersburg is the burning of the town, which occurred July 30, 1864. There was a demand
for the people of Chambersburg to pay a ransom to save the town. The people refused to pay, thinking the Southern troops would not set fire, but they were wrong and Chambersburg went up in flames. 537 buildings were
destroyed. Certain buildings were not destroyed such as; the Old jail, the John Brown House, churches and the Masonic Temple were left untouched..
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