Our History
In the summer of 1767 a group of men, with their families and slaves, came to this area bringing with them seeds, tools, furniture, livestock and other necessities. Among these were James Hughes, Thomas Hughes, John Swan, Charles Swan, Henry VanMeter, Jacob VanMeter,
John Carmichael and James Carmichael.
Thomas Hughes first settled in the area known as Old Town. His cabin, which was burned down by Indians, was located close to where the Pennington Greenhouse later stood. It is recorded that it was Thomas Hughes who named this location Old Town.
On July 24, 1780, Thomas Hughes sold 360 acres to James Carmichael. By 1781 James Carmichael had acquired 809 acres of land. James Carmichael had a vision of a town, which he first called Lisbon. He began laying out a map that included a town square and lots which would be 50 by 150 feet, with the main road running north and south and called it Market Street, Deeds show that Market Street was also known as Main Street and Morgantown Road. The main road running east and west through town would be called George Street.
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James Carmichael died in 1796 and did not have the opportunity to see his dream of the town come to fulfillment. In 1807, William Seaton Carmichael, son of James, finished the layout of the town and commissioned a map to be made, and the town was named New Lisbon.
Carmichaels Borough was incorporated in 1855 from Cumberland Township. The
Carmichaels covered bridge, which crosses Muddy Creek in Old Town, is unique in that it sits within Borough limits. Although the sign above the bridge states that the bridge was built in 1889, this is incorrect. In 1889 the bridge was renovated. A bridge has stood in that same location since the founding of Old Town. The first post office in Carmichaels began operating in 1822 in Old Town.
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The Borough is home to the Greene Academy. The Academy is a unique historic structure of native
fieldstone and brick. The original fieldstone section built in 1790 was an Episcopal Church on land owned by James Carmichael. In 1810, the church trustees offered the use of their building for a school and the brick addition was added. As a pioneer in co-education, the Greene Academy had a Female Department as early as 1837. It continued to serve as the educational center of the county until the founding of Waynesburg College in 1849. With the building of the Carmichaels Borough School in 1893, the Greene Academy closed.
The Greene Academy