Columbia, formerly
Wright's Ferry, is a
borough in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles (45 km) southeast of
Harrisburg on the left (east) bank of the
Susquehanna River, across from
Wrightsville and
York County and just south of
U.S. Route 30. The settlement was founded in 1726 by
Colonial English Quakers from
Chester County led by entrepreneur and evangelist
John Wright. Establishment of the eponymous
Wright's Ferry, the first commercial Susquehanna crossing in the region, inflamed territorial conflict with neighboring
Maryland but brought growth and prosperity to the small town, which was briefly considered as a candidate for the new United States' capital. Though besieged for a short while by
Civil War destruction, Columbia remained a lively center of transport and industry throughout the 19th century, once serving as a terminus of the
Pennsylvania Canal. Later, however, the
Great Depression and 20th-century changes in economy and technology sent the borough into decline. It is notable today as the site of one of the world's few museums devoted entirely to
horology.