It is perhaps best known for being the location of the homestead to Pennsylvania's first governor, Thomas Mifflin,[4] and as the childhood home of American author John Updike.

Many of Updike's stories take place in the fictional town of Olinger, a lightly-disguised version of Shillington, and in its environs.

Shillington began in 1860 as part of Cumru Township, when local landowner and borough namesake Samuel Shilling sold some of his lots for residences.

The inn was a popular stop for farmers going to the city's markets, and later it sat near a horse racing track built by Aaron Einstein in 1868.

On August 18, 1908, the Quarter Session Court officially incorporated the borough of Shillington as a separate municipality from Cumru Township with a population of 450.

The most notable current visible remnant of the poorhouse is a stone wall that is within short walking distance down the road from John Updike's old home.

[6][7] Angelica Farm was also the historical home of Thomas Mifflin, the first governor of Pennsylvania and 11th President of the Continental Congress.

[8] It is situated in southeastern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Reading, the county seat, and about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

Wyomissing Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, runs along the western border of Shillington.