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Town History
Historic People
& Places of Gettysburg • At the opening of the Civil
War, Gettysburg was a typical northern community made up of English,
German, Irish, and African-Americans of various religious, economic,
and cultural backgrounds. But in July 1863, Gettyburg’s citizens
found themselves at the center of a great American Civil War battle
during which they endured occupation and hardship. In the aftermath
of battle, townspeople provided medical assistance, buried the
dead, and began preserving the battleground. This extraordinary
experience gave Gettysburg’s citizens—and citizens of
the entire nation—a perception of its unique and important
place in history. “History is far more than the excitement
of battle, the flags and guns and desperate assaults. In a place
like Gettysburg, the visitor—the native for that matter—may
easily become absorbed in the three days of conflict, forgetting
that history was also made here in quiet lives, on farm and village
street, through a century before the battle, through a century
after it.” Dwight D. Eisenhower
Local History Resources
Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides • (717 337 1709)
Borough of Gettysburg • Historical Architectural Review
Board • Gary W. Shaffer, Chairman (717 334 1160)
Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association • (717 337 0031)
Seminary Ridge Historic Preservation Foundation • (717 338 3030)
 | Site funded in part by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum
Commission. Photography by Bill Dowling. Main
Street Gettysburg, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization registered with the state of Pennsylvania,
is committed to preserving and revitalizing historic Gettysburg
for the benefit of businesses, citizens, and visitors. 717 337 3491;
email Main
Street Gettysburg. |
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