As of the census until 1817 when it was granted a charter as a borough. In 1837 the Cumberland Valley Railroad came through the area, and in 1874 the borough was extended to the south to include the homes and businesses that had grown up along the railroad.
The Newville Post Office was established in 1800.
The Newville Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Notable people
On May 4, 2005, federal legislation was passed in Congress designating the post office facility in Newville as the Randall D. Shughart United States Post Office Building. The naming is in honor and commemoration of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart, a Medal of Honor recipient whose courageous actions in combat cost him his life during the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, where he fought under Special Operations Command in October 1993. Shughart's story is depicted in Black Hawk Down, a 2001 film by Ridley Scott, based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. Shughart was a native of Newville.
Other notable residents include:
- W. Paris Chambers, composer and cornet soloist
- Clement Finley, 10th Surgeon General of the United States Army
- Andy Oyler, Major League ballplayer
- Andrew G. Miller (1811–1880) Pennsylvania State Senator from 1869 to 1871.
- Zach Miller, musician and backup vocalist of Dr. Dog