Canonsburg - Hardcoverby Jerry Grefenstette (Author) Located less than 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, Canonsburg is a small town that arose during the late 1700s, serving initially as a postal stop between Pittsburgh and Washington. Incorporated in 1802, Canonsburg thrived as a market town, providing such goods as grain and whiskey. In the 1800s, Jefferson College, rising from John McMillan's original one room log house, became one of the largest colleges in the