Chapman Borough

Chapman Borough Hall is located at 1400 Main Street, Chapman PA 18014; phone: 610-837-0842.

The borough derives its name from William Chapman who was born in 1816 on the battlefield of Waterloo, his mother having gone there to attend her wounded husband. He is said to have discovered the slate deposits in this region, and acquired the land for a dollar in money and a pint of gin. He formed a company and amassed a fortune. The borough was incorporated in 1865. The census of 1865 counted 388 inhabitants. By the 1880s the borough had 2 churches, a post office, 1 store, 1 hotel, 1 school house, several machine shops, offices and shops of slate companies and about 60 dwellings. Most of the homes were owned by the Chapman Slate Company. [1]

1. William J. Heller et. al, History of Northampton County Pennsylvania and The Grand Valley of the Lehigh, The American Historical Society, New York, 1920.