Gettysburg Visitor Center

Historical investment

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has approved $4 million in grants for the rehabilitation of Schmucker Hall on Seminary Ridge.

Leaders from the joint venture of the Adams County Historical Society and Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg received a letter from Charles B. Zogby, secretary of the Budget, Thursday, reporting on the review of the 2010 commitment of funds from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).

In his letter, Zogby informed project leaders that the “Office of the Budget has completed its review of the Schmucker Hall at the Lutheran Theological Seminary project and I am pleased to inform you that Governor Corbett has approved the Commonwealth’s commitment of $4,000,000 in RACP funding.”

Efforts to rehabilitate the iconic Schmucker Hall, in the western portin of Gettysburg, received critical support in 2010 and has continued to raise funds and engage pre-construction design work in anticipation of the favorable review.

The focus of the joint venture is the multi-million dollar project to preserve the 1832 building, said to be one of the most important surviving Civil War buildings not owned by a public entity. The goal of the rehabilitation is to create a state of the art museum interpreting the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, its role as the largest fixed field hospital in Gettysburg, and its role in the African American experience, Underground Railroad, and religion and the churches in the 19th century conflict.

A new permanent facility for the Adams County Historical Society is also part of the long term goal of the “Voices of History” campaign which totals $22 million as its overarching goal.

Bradley Hoch, representative of the ACHS Board, expressed his, “deepest thanks to governors Tom Corbett and Ed Rendell, who saw the benefits of this project for Gettysburg, for Pennsylvania, and for the nation; to State Senator Rich Alloway who stood by us, worked hand in hand, and led us in the pursuit of this award for the past several years; and to State Representative Dan Moul who aided significantly in recent days.”

Both Hoch and Em Cole, executive director of “Voices of History,” the joint venture created to raise funds for the rehabilitation, also noted the crucial role of Leroy Kline and the staff of Delta Development which has assisted “Voices of History” leaders in their efforts to identify sources of support in the early and pre-construction phases of the project.

A Trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Tripatini

What is it about this place that draws people? I think the answer is that the Civil War is about good versus evil, and fascination with the belief system of men from both sides being so strong. Their motivation was so strong that they endured years of living like hobos, away from comforts and family, only to face a possibly torturous death. As in so many things related to Abraham Lincoln, his words in 1861 are prophetic - “The struggle of today is not altogether for today; it is for a vast future also.” That I just violated tradition, calling the Civil War a contest of good versus evil, is not news to me. I went to college in Atlanta (when Dixie still played at bars and football games). Today, The Lost Cause is finally recognized as the Wrong Cause by most people. None of the professorial discussions of economics, politics of the era, or the flaw in our Constitution can explain the public fascination with Gettysburg except a draw to good versus evil. However, a Gettysburg park ranger told me that some people storm out of the park's introductory film because it mentions the evils of slavery instead of the noble quest for independence by the South. Perhaps in time, other people will come to my own conclusion, which has taken most of my adult life to recognize. I stayed at the Wyndam Hotel , located at the Gateway Gettysburg campus. My room included a bar area, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and a 5x5 shower with side spray nozzles. The hotel offers a huge enclosed pool for the kids, and three restaurants to choose from (one providing pizza and family-food). Reasonable luxury is the best description of my accommodations with prices about $225, depending on the season. In the Wyndam’s 1863 restaurant , I enjoyed the spinach salad and Scottish salmon steak along with a glass of California Mirassou 2009 pinot noir. The spinach salad is with bleu, pecans, and a warm cider vinaigrette. My salmon steak was a thick cut but cooked to perfection throughout. The salmon plate is served with butternut squash risotto, asparagus, and a pecan relish. A special treat, compliments of the chef, was the pan seared scallop in an apple cider with rum butter sauce – really good. This fine dinner was about $39.00 total. A shuttle runs into downtown from the Gateway Gettysburg campus and takes about 5 minutes. I drove my car around the battlefield and found parking at all of the points of interest.

Insiders' Guide to Gettysburg

National Parks

Gettysburg 1863, high tide of the Confederacy

The Battle of Gettysburg, a guided tour

The Big Book of Civil War Sites, From Fort Sumter to Appomattox, a Visitor's Guide to the History, Personalities, and Places of America's Battlefields