Jennerstown was named for Dr. Edward Jenner, the originator of vaccination. It was laid out under the name of “Jennersville” in 1822 by John Dennison, who owned the land and sold the first lots. The tract of land it was laid out on was originally warranted to James Wells and called “Well’s Escape” in honor of his famed escape from the Indians in the autumn of 1776.
Jennerstown, which is on the Pittsburgh turnpike, was a very energetic and prosperous village before the days of railroads, when travel by stage and all kinds of traffic passed over the turnpike. A man by the name of Butt probably kept the first hotel.
The place has been a borough since 1874 and John A. Sipe was the first burgess. In 1884 it contained two churches, one store, one carriage-shop, two blacksmith-shops, two cabinet-shops and one shoe-shop. The population in 1930 was 252 persons.
(Source: partially extracted from History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA;1884)
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