Shipoke, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shipoke
Neighborhood of Harrisburg
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Dauphin County
City	Harrisburg
ZIP code	17104 [1]
Area code(s)	Area code 717

Shipoke (SHY-poke) is a neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Shipoke is delineated by Interstate 83 to the south, Washington Street to the north, Second Street to the east, and the Susquehanna River to the west. It is Harrisburg Ward number one. Compared to Harrisburg's other neighborhoods, Shipoke is small.

Shipoke is in many ways the oldest section of the city, settled by Europeans in 1710 as a small trading post. It was here that the Harris Ferry and Tavern was originally located, which is the origin of the name Harrisburg. All of the neighborhood lies within the flood plain of the Susquehanna River. Most major storms lead to dangerous flooding in this area. After falling into disrepair, Shipoke was devastated by the flooding associated with Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Many of the Victorian houses were abandoned following the flooding, and they were sold to developers for nominal costs. "Pancake Row" is a historic section of Carpenter Gothic row houses along Conoy Street. They were built in 1888 by Jacob Pancake of Trullinger & Co. lumber. In more recent times, an electrical fire, caused by an ice flood, destroyed most of the houses in 1996, but the houses were restored and reconstructed through a citywide effort. More recently, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 led to severe flooding and damage in this area. After years of rehabilitation, Shipoke now is a picturesque, affluent neighborhood known for its beautiful river views. A number of festivals are held annually in Riverfront Park along the river near Shipoke.