City (pop., 2000: 48,950), capital of Pennsylvania, U.S. Located in southeastern Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna River , the site was first established с 1718 as a trading post and ferry service by John Harris, who named it Harris' Ferry.
Laid out in 1785, it became known as Harrisburg and was made the state capital in 1812. In 1839 it was the scene of the first national Whig Party convention, which nominated Pennsylvania Railroad 's main line from Harrisburg to {{link=Pittsburgh">Pittsburgh in 1847, it developed as a transportation centre. The state capitol, with a dome patterned after St. Peter's in Rome, was completed in 1906.