140 Places Every Guide Should Know

by Fred Hawthorne 

The desire to "commemorate" important anniversaries is not unique to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the U.S.A., or even the world. In recent years we have witnessed a plethora of "anniversary" events coinciding with what some folks perceive as major anniversaries (although I have yet to fathom why the "135th" anniversary should be worthy of singling out for the "world's largest reenactment" than any other.) In the veteran's years not much interest was taken in battle commemoration until 1878. That year the Pennsylvania Division of the GAR chose to hold its annual encampment here at Gettysburg. Most of you know that during this event several markers went up on the field including those to "Vincent" and "Taylor" on the southern part of the field.      

Several years later a series of letters began to appear in the local newspapers from a Reverend A. E. Tortat relative to the building of a memorial structure to honor all Civil War soldiers. His plan was detailed in an article in the Philadelphia North American in May of 1881.    "...the Grand Army of the Republic of this state...will further add to the interests of this historic ground [with] the contemplated erection of a massive tower, 150 feet high from which the whole battlefield may be viewed, to be erected as a monument to Major General Meade, the chief in command on this field, in connection with an Episcopal Church, for he was an Episcopalian, to be called 'The Meade Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace.' Every stone of which with window, pew, chancel, pulpit, organ, bell and other furniture shall be a momento to some fallen hero and be inscribed with his name and that of the doner..."   Eventually, the "Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace" (southwest corner of Baltimore and High Street) would evolve as a 25th Anniversary Memorial .  Seven years later, in the spring of the 25th anniversary year the battle-era David McCreary house was leveled to begin construction on Tortat's project.  Obviously by that time it was impossible to more than lay the cornerstone in time for the actual anniversary and Rev. Tortat would not succeed in bringing the project to completion until several years later.  The cornerstone was officially laid on July 2nd but it would take twelve years before the structure was completed.  He also was never successful at attracting sufficient donations to make every feature of the edifice a memorial.  By then, the prospect of placing actual unit memorials on the field was well underway and his project evoked little interest among most veterans and their families. Thankfully the prospect of a "150 foot tower" in town never reached fruition but the church tower today does contain those stones that were donated.

As the 50th Anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg approached plans were developed for a new federal building which would house the local Post Office, as well as various federal offices - most notably those of the National Park Commissioners. This would become the main 50th Anniversary Memorial.  It was felt that a new, imposing federal building would demonstrate the power and prestige of the federal government, preserved at Gettysburg.  Architecturally completely out of place in small-town Gettysburg, three Civil war era buildings were destroyed to make room for the structure including the home of Dr. J.W.C. O'Neal, of prominence in assisting southern families at locating the remains of their fallen loved ones.  Like the nearby Episcopal Church, the building would not be completed in time for the actually anniversary.  Construction began in 1912 but numerous delays prevented its opening until the summer of 1914.  The second floor of this building would serve as the offices of the War Department Commissioners, NPS headquarters and Visitor's Center (until 1962) and also the chief offices of the Secret Service during the Eisenhower Years.  It also served as Mamie Eisenhower's offices during the family's retirement years.  Anyone desring "the source" for this information is referred to numerous newspaper articles from 1910 through 1914.  Lacking access to those one might look at Dr. Robert L. Bloom's  "A History of Adams County, Pennsylvania 1700-1990" (Adams County Historical Society, 1992).  On page 421 there is a picture of the "New" Library (Adams County Public Library moved in the building when the Post Office moved out of town in the late 1980's).  The caption reads "The former post office building in Gettysburg, built to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg but not completed until 1915..."

It was during the grand encampment of Civil War Veterans in the summer of 1913 that plans were proposed for what would eventually become the 75th Anniversary Memorial of the great battle...the Eternal Light Peace Memorial on Oak Hill.  Criticized as inappropriate and out-of-place by some battle 'purists' it nonetheless exists as a symbol of the reunited nation.  Its dedication on July 3 of 1938 marked the culmination of the last great reunion of the veterans of '61 - '65.
 
Curiously, no singular commemoration of the Centennial celebration exists on the field today,  folks at the time choosing to mark their commemoration with the first of what has regrettably become annual events...those sham "battles" known as "reenactments."  How these possibly honor soldiers who long ago bled and died here is well beyond my limited ability to comprehend.