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Gettysburg: A Historic Address

Photo by VICKIE BECK

Gettysburg College, like so many other buildings, has a rich history.

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By VICKIE BECK

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 27, 2008

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - People have been visiting the Civil War's bloodiest battlefield since 51,000 men lost their lives here July 1 to 3, 1863.

Initially, the visitors came in search of loved ones or information. Now, up to 2 million a year come to make sense of what happened and to pay their respects.

Many of them will arrive over the Fourth of July weekend, when the epic battle is re-enacted. The town's 8,000 or so residents get another surge in mid-November during Remembrance Weekend, commemorating President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Although visitors often are drawn by history - the museum, the battlefields, Gettysburg National Cemetery - the town itself holds fascinating stories.

Settled in the early 1700s, the community grew when Samuel Gettys opened a tavern in 1761. Twenty-five years later, his son laid out a town proper of 210 plots with a town square (actually, a circle) on the land around the tavern. The town would be named Gettysburg in 1800 and become the seat of the new Adams County, named after then-President John Adams.

By 1860, Gettysburg had 2,400 residents and 10 roads leading into it. The opposing armies of Maj. Gen. George Meade and Gen. Robert E. Lee came riding in on those roads.

Today, 10 major routes still lead into Gettysburg from cities large and small, Baltimore to York, Pa. Approach on any route and you'll see signs that sacred ground lies ahead. Along Baltimore Pike, for instance, a monument to the 10th Maine Battalion stands in the front yard of a home.

Once in downtown Gettysburg, historical markers lead the way. There are surprising historical footnotes on many streets, and even in the alleyways.

The Gettysburg Hotel opened in 1797 as a tavern, then provided lodging for 200 years or so before closing in 1964. It reopened in 1990. Lincoln stayed at the Wills House, just a few steps away, when he came to deliver the Gettysburg Address in November 1863 at what is now Gettysburg National Cemetery. The house is owned by the National Park Service.

The home of George Washington Shriver and his family was quarters for Union soldiers in the winter of 1862 and eventually had Confederate sharpshooters taking aim from the attic. The building is now the Shriver House Museum, focused on the civilian experience of the battle.

Some buildings, seemingly equally rich in historic value, have evolved with the times.

The James Gettys Hotel opened in 1843 as a tavern and served as a hospital after the battle. As the town grew, the building grew, with the third and fourth stories being added in 1888. It was renovated in the 1920s and again in 1996, maintaining the 1920s-era look.

The Historical Architectural Review Board, which oversees much of downtown, does not require buildings to have a Civil War-era look, explained Stephanie McSherry, manager of the hotel and Lord Nelson's Gallery next door. But the buildings must maintain the look of previous renovations.

In some parts of town, though, changing the 19th century red brick and white trim façade can lead to disputes worthy of local newspaper coverage.

"We've worked hard to preserve history in the architecture by paying attention to details, such as color schemes," McSherry said.

Still, the town is home to modern people, who cannot live on history alone. Lord Nelson's Gallery specializes in American Indian art to differentiate itself from the overwhelming emphasis on the Civil War. There are several other art galleries, along with antiques shops and a wine store, featuring locally made wines. One building is home to an electronics store and a Christian bookstore.

Among the many Civil War memorabilia shops are vintage clothing stores, upscale shoe stores, a knitting goods store and a pet shop.

Although the fields and hills on the outskirts of town give it an atmosphere of rural isolation, Gettysburg is only 80 miles from Washington and about 60 miles from Baltimore. It is fast becoming a suburb of both. There are only two main industries - agriculture and tourism - and, consequently, a tension between preservation and development.

The center of town can't expand - it's surrounded by the battlefield, which is controlled by the National Park Service. Still, new hotels and motels continue to appear primarily on the east side of town, where there's also a relatively new 10-screen movie complex.

Gettysburg's preservationists, however, have won some epic battles of their own. A 393-foot observation tower has been removed, as was a large car dealership adjacent to the battlefield. And 18 months ago, a grassroots group called No Casino Gettysburg succeeded in killing plans for a large gambling complex.

Still, you'll find a surprising mix of past and present downtown, a sometimes jarring sight that seems to be - for better or for worse - the American way.

IF YOU GO

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK: The main attraction, with more than 1,300 monuments and memorials. The old visitor center was replaced in April by a $103 million center, designed to look like a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. A $15 million restoration of the popular cyclorama, a round oil on canvas painting that is a 359-foot-long, 27-foot-high depiction of the battle created in 1884, is expected to be completed in September. Myriad battlefield tours are available: guided walking tours, bus tours, train tours, even ghost tours. To find tours, lodging, and other information, try these for resources:

•Gettysburg National Military Park and Park Service Museum and Visitor Center, 1-866-889-1243; www.nps.gov/gett

•Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, (717) 334-6274; www.gettysburg.travel

MORE ONLINE:

•www.gettysburgbattlefield

tours.com

• www.visit-gettysburg.com

• www.gettysburg.com

• www.gettysburgpa.org

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