“Doors Open” at Gettysburg next week
Gettysburg, PA (WHTM) – On May 11, from 10 am to 2 pm, visitors will have a chance to look inside four historic homes at Gettysburg National Military Park that are usually closed to the public. The free event, “Doors Open Gettysburg”, takes place during National Historic Preservation Month.
“Doors Open Gettysburg highlights the park’s important historic preservation mission and the stories these buildings can tell,” said Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent Kristina Heister. “This event is a great opportunity for our community and park visitors to learn more about Gettysburg and how we take care of these resources.”
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The buildings range from newly restored to, well, showing their age. Please note that the buildings are not wheelchair accessible. The event is free – no tickets or reservations are necessary for Doors Open Gettysburg.
The four houses are:
Abraham Brian House: A member of Gettysburg’s African American community, Abraham Brian’s house sits along the Union lines, near the High Water Mark of Pickett’s Charge. He and his family fled the area, and returned after the battle to find his home in ruins. National Park Service preservation experts recently restored the biaxal roof on this historic home. “Biaxial” means the shingles were overlapped both horizontally and vertically; this distinctive roofing style, which had largely vanished by the 20th century, is also found on the nearby Lydia Leister House. Park along Hancock Avenue or in the National Cemetery Parking Lot.
Lydia Leister House—Meade’s Headquarters: Home of the widow Lydia Leister and her children, the two-room structure became the Headquarters of the Union Army of the Potomac. (Lydia took her children to safer locations during the battle.) General George G. Meade held his famous “Council of War” here on the evening of July 2, 1863. When Lydia Leister returned to her home after the battle she found 17 dead horses in her yard, all the hay gone from her barn, and her fence rails burned. Like the Brian Farm, the biaxal roofing was recently returned to this historic structure, restoring a character defining feature of one of the most historic buildings on the battlefield. Park in the National Cemetery Parking Lot or along Hancock Avenue.
Jacob Hummelbaugh House: Located behind the Union lines, the Hummelsbaugh House was used as a field hospital and rallying point on July 2, 1863. Confederate General William Barksdale died and was temporarily buried in the yard. The Hummelbaugh House will be rehabilitated and stabilized in 2024. Park along Sedgwick or Hancock Avenue. (They are actually the same road with different names at different points. You’ll be closer to the house if you can park on the Hancock Avenue part.) Do not park on Pleasanton Avenue.
Mary Thompson House—Lee’s Headquarters: Unlike the other three houses, which are located fairly close to one another, The Mary Thompson House sits on the west side of Gettysburg in the Confederate line. Confederate General Robert E. Lee used the house as his headquarters during the battle. Mary Thompson stayed in her house, caring for wounded soldiers around her home. The house was rehabilitated and restored by the American Battlefield Trust in the early 2000s. They are opening it as part of the Doors Open event. Park in the designated lot at the house.
Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Gettysburg headquarters restored
Also beginning on Saturday, May 11, the David Wills House will open for the season.
David Wills House: The home of Gettysburg attorney David Wills was the center of the immense clean-up process after the Battle of Gettysburg and where President Lincoln put the finishing touches on his Gettysburg Address. The museum features six galleries, including two rooms that have been restored to their 1863 appearance: Wills’s office, where he planned for a Soldiers’ National Cemetery after the battle; and the bedroom where Lincoln stayed and prepared the Gettysburg Address.
Wills House in Gettysburg reopens
Admission to the David Wills House is free. It will be open Friday-Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm.
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