Estherton, Pennsylvania

Estherton is an unincorporated area and neighborhood in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle area. It is situated on the Susquehanna River, just north of the city of Harrisburg and above the Montrose Park neighborhood but below the Lucknow neighborhood within Susquehanna Township. Interstate 81 runs through the community to the George N. Wade Memorial Bridge.

History
Estherton was founded as Coxestown, or Coxtown, in 1756 by Dr. John Cox Jr. after his wife, Esther. It was the second town laid out in Dauphin County, after Middletown. In 1779, Estherton was used as a supply depot during the Sullivan Expedition. This continued furthermore as the town was a port of call as goods were transported down the river. In 1800, Methodist families formed the Coxestown Methodist Episcopal Church, which would be moved and renamed many times to what is currently St. Marks United Methodist Church. Before 1828 the "Coxestown Inn" was formed and was a popular visit for those passing by with the river trade, and would develop a notorious reputation as a rowdy roadhouse that continued through the era of automobile parties; it was later raided by Prohibition Agents before finally burning down in 1926. In the early 1970s Interstate 81 was built through the area.