The settlement was originally founded as a village
called Pašešupė (in Polish: Poszeszupie),
after the nearby river of Šešupė. As such the town was first mentioned in 1667.
In 18th century the village, at that time belonging to the Catholic Church,
grew to become a market town and its name was changed to Starpol or Staropole,
after a new village built for Prienai starost's guards in the vicinity in 1739.
The settlement was destroyed by a fire in 1765.
After the disaster the wife of
