Mount Jackson, Pennsylvania

History

North Beaver Township was formed in 1810, and Mount Jackson was founded within its boundaries five years later, eventually becoming recognized as the township's hub. Named for Andrew Jackson soon after his victory in the Battle of New Orleans, Mount Jackson was founded by John Nesbit on a plot of farmland that he owned. The farming village's earliest residents were mostly Scotch-Irish and Presbyterian, with many arriving from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The first person to build a house there was William Henry, who also became the village postmaster. For some years, the only stagecoach route from New Castle to the train station at Enon Valley ran through Mount Jackson.

The village was home to Battery B (or the "Mount Jackson Guards"), a Union Army volunteer light artillery regiment that saw significant action in the American Civil War. A 20 ft monument commemorating their service was dedicated in 1912 by surviving veterans and placed on Route 108 right outside the village. An original cannon from the Raritan Arsenal that was added to the monument in 1923 was moved to the North Beaver Township building in 2010. Newly graduated high school students from the village were drafted to serve in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. After the war, the new neighborhood of Jackson Knolls Gardens was carved out of the adjacent forest known as Nesbit Grove. In 1964, the village felt the effects of the explosion at the American Cyanamid chemical plant in nearby Edinburg, with windows being blown out.

Mount Jackson celebrated its 200th birthday in 2015 with a parade, fireworks and a prayer service. , it was still a one-stoplight town.

Demographics

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The United States Census Bureau defined Mount Jackson as a census designated place (CDP) in 2023.

Education

Historically, education in Mount Jackson revolved around the North Beaver Township Consolidated High School (or Mount Jackson School or Mount Jackson High School), a vocational school which offered courses in farming, woodworking and homemaking. The village is currently served by the Mohawk Area School District in nearby Bessemer. Founded in 1958, it operates Mohawk Elementary School and Mohawk Junior Senior High School.

Transportation

Major roads and highways

Notable people

• William McClelland (politician) (1842–1892), U.S. congressman and Civil War captain
• Donald W. Fox (1922–2021), Pennsylvania House of Representatives member

References

References

1. {{gnis. 1181724
2. (July 31, 1972) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/1972/07-31/page-1 "News Digest – In Mount Jackson"]. ''[[New Castle News]]''. Retrieved January 28, 2026. {{Subscription required "Mount Jackson, a community in North Beaver Township, is rich in history. Included is this memorial erected in honor of a battery of field artillery headed by Capt. James H. Cooper. The battery was one of the famous military units at [[Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg]]."
3. Pezzuto, Lugene. (August 6, 2015) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/2015/08-06/page-2 "Mount Jackson's 200 Years Observed"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 28, 2026. {{Subscription required "Mount Jackson was named for Gen. Andrew Jackson who was victorious in the final battle of the [[War of 1812]] – the [[Battle of New Orleans]]."
4. Lowry, Nancy (September 30, 2009) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/2015/08-08/page-2 "Cannon 'Priceless' But Not Worth Much Money"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 28, 2026. {{Subscription required "The 1912 reunion was delayed until June 28 so the monument could be shipped, placed and dedicated ... In April 1923, a Civil War-era cannon was added to the monument ... Several years ago, the cannon was removed from its original spot. A refurbished cannon and rebuilt chassis were relocated to the North Beaver Township building and athletic complex in 2010."
5. (September 30, 2009) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/2009/09-30/page-8 "Mount Jackson Class of 1940"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 28, 2026. {{Subscription required "Pictured, from left, are Paul McKinley, Oscar Paden, Helen Kusnierczyk Wolaninn, Donald Fox and Leroy Harrier."
6. Grzebieniak, Mary. (July 31, 2015) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/2015/07-31/page-1 "Mount Jackson Memories – Former Farm Girl Remembers Quieter, Simpler Village"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 28, 2026. {{Subscription required "American Cyanamid, she said, 'was a big thing in the community, it was a job', although she remembered that people who worked there 'got terrible headaches' and the explosions that sometimes came from the plant were unnerving to those in the area ... 'In 1943 and '44, they were drafting men for the war right out of high school', she recalls ... A large wooded area that she had been warned as a child to stay away from became the sprawling Jackson Knolls housing development ...
7. [http://www.lcmemoirs.com/lcmpages/202/american-cyamanid-company-burton-works-edinburg-pa#:~:text=The%20plant%20was%20a%20bit,safety%20bunkers%20dotted%20the%20landscape. "American Cyanamid Company (Burton Works) – Edinburg PA"]. Lawrence County Memoirs. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
8. "2023 Geography Changes". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. (May 28, 1931) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/1931/05-28/page-21 "Commencement of Mount Jackson High on Friday"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 29, 2026. {{Subscription required "Dr. C.C. Crawford, president of Edinboro State Teachers' College will be the principal speaker at the commencement exercises of the North Beaver Vocational high school of Mount Jackson Friday, when 17 graduates will receive diplomas."
10. (December 5, 1930) [https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/1930/12-05/page-34 "Some 527 Students at Mount Jackson – North Beaver Township School is One of First Consolidated"]. ''New Castle News''. Retrieved January 29, 2026. {{Subscription required "Every Freshman and Sophomore must take agricultural work. The boys from these two classes are also required to study woodwork and the girls sewing, cooking, laundry, and other household topics."
11. [https://www.mohawk.k12.pa.us/district About Us]. [[Mohawk Area School District]]. Retrieved January 29, 2026.