Dykeman Spring is the centerpiece of the 56-acre Dykeman Park in Shippensburg. Another water feature of the park is Dykeman Pond, which sits in front of an Italian-style manor house. The original Dykeman Manor House was constructed in 1855 and in 1871, altered to an Italianate style with distinct geometric features like the six-foot square cupola. Next to the pond is a limestone hatch house,constructed in 1871 and used when the site was a trout hatchery.
The early inhabitants of the area were the Delaware Indians, around 1730. Drawn to the waters of the Indian Head Spring, the natives built small dwellings around the spring. Later, the spring attracted nearly 20,000 Confederate soldiers, who camped at the site in late June 1863. These troops headed east to the Battle of Gettysburg and clashed with Union troops. More than one-third of the men perished.
In 1999, the Dykeman Spring was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.