Transformative Changes Take Shape at Gettysburg
Jared Herr, jherr@battlefields.org
Heading to the Gettysburg Battlefield this summer? You’ll be met with exciting changes underway as part of the Trust’s Gettysburg restoration campaign.
More than 160 years after fighting there concluded, the Gettysburg Battlefield stands as a breathtaking witness to one of our nation’s defining moments. The American Battlefield Trust is in the midst of several transformational projects, including removing non-historic structures, restoring those that bore witness to the battle, installing needed interpretive markers and signage, and revitalizing the landscape so that the battle’s remarkable history emerges.
What We've Done
December marked a major milestone in the Trust’s ongoing restoration efforts with the demolition of two non-historic structures along Baltimore Pike, including the building that once housed the Battlefield Military Museum. The removal of these modern buildings allows a much-improved view of Stevens’ Knoll, an area of the battlefield set aside for preservation in the 1860s. Additionally, the historic James McKnight House located nearby, fronting the Baltimore Pike, is undergoing a dramatic restoration to return its 1863 appearance. Ultimately, the Trust plans to have walking trails with interpretive signage and markers on the land to help visitors connect more deeply with events taking place on this portion of the battlefield.
What's to Come
For decades, General Pickett’s Buffet was an iconic site in the Gettysburg community. But when the restaurant’s operation relocated to a new, larger and more suitable venue, its longtime owners sold the original property to the Trust. Following a successful fundraising campaign, the Trust is engaged in a planning and permitting process to remove the building that has marred the landscape of Pickett’s Charge for decades and integrate the site into the adjacent parkland. This will make way for state-of-the-art interpretation, including place-based augmented reality tools. But prior to any demolition, the building will be made available to the Gettysburg Fire Department for training exercises.
Across town, the area between McPherson Ridge and Herr’s Ridge, and just past Willoughby’s Run, saw intense fighting in the opening phase of battle on July 1, 1863. In the 1940s, some 110 acres of this hallowed ground became the Gettysburg Country Club, a use that lasted into the 21st century. After the club closed, the golf course was added to the national park, but the remainder was proposed for intensive residential development. However, after significant local opposition and a permitting setback, the Trust was able to acquire the site via a series of good-faith negotiations. In fact, it was this purchase that pushed the Trust over the 60,000-acre milestone
Long-term plans envision removal of intrusive 21st-century elements but retention of the original clubhouse, which was frequented by President Dwight Eisenhower during his retirement years in Gettysburg. However, for the time being, that modern space is occupied by Cumberland Township, because the Trust offered it rent-free as a temporary home for local police and administrators during a major of their permanent office space.
To learn more and support the Trust’s efforts to restore critical parts of the Gettysburg Battlefield, visit www.battlefields.org/restore-gettysburg.
