Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor Driving - Adams County
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Description
Featuring sites along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway in Adams County, PA
1. Caledonia State Park
Caledonia State Park is located in between Chambersburg and Gettysburg in Central Pennsylvania. After Thaddeus Stevens built an iron furnace on the land, it was destroyed by the Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Then, the Chambersburg and Gettysburg Trolley Company bought the land that is now known as Caledonia State Park from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Since then, men of the Civilian Conservation Corps built roads on the land that are still used today. The forested park offers many activities; camping, fishing, hiking, and swimming are only a few to name. The park offers events for children and adults, such as a theater and an annual craft festival.
2. Kidnapping Site of Mary Jemison Historical Marker
This historical marker was dedicated in 1947 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and recognizes an event in 1758 during the French and Indian War when a raiding party of French soldiers and Shawnee Indians kidnapped twelve-year-old Mary Jemison. The raiders also captured her family members and other neighboring British settlers a short distance from this place. Mary Jemison was adopted into their culture and spent her entire life living among the Indians, and her story captivated many for the next two centuries.
3. Sheely's Round Barn
The round barn in Biglerville, Pennsylvania is one of the only round barns left in the country. At the time, these barns were the most effective because of the unique shape and structure. This barn that was finished in 1914, is just a small snapshot of the rich agricultural history Pennsylvania has. The barn was built by the Sheely family after their previous barn was lost in a fire. They landed on this design after son, Daniel, saw a similar barn in Hersey, Pennsylvania. The barn now hosts events, a farmer’s market, and weddings.
4. Cashtown Inn
Cashtown Inn is a historic inn that has been housing travelers since the early 19th century. During the Civil War that devastated the country from 1860-1865, Cashtown Inn played a role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Because Cashtown Inn was involved in the troop movement and before, during, and after the battle of Gettysburg, its historical relevance has kept it preserved and popular until today. The preserved architecture allowed Cashtown Inn to be featured in the movie Gettysburg, and several actors stayed in the Inn during filming. Visitors stop to experience the history of the area, the relaxing Tavern and Bed and Breakfast, and possibly a paranormal encounter.
5. Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum
Gettysburg's Seminary Ridge Museum was founded to interpret and share the history of Seminary Ridge and its role within the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the major turning points of the Civil War. Museum professionals restore artifacts and offer exhibits that share the history of this place within the larger history of the American Civil War. The museum is located in a building constructed in 1826 by Samuel Simon Schmucker and the name of the ridge is related to this area's use as the first seminary in the area. This building was held by Union forces headquarters at the start and end of the battle, and was the site of a massive military hospital in the months that followed the battle. U. S. Army Brigadier General John Buford used the domed cupola atop the building to view the battlefield during the first day of the battle. The museum opened in 2013, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
6. Gettysburg Heritage Center
Gettysburg Heritage Center borders the Gettysburg National Military Park battlefield and provides guests with an interactive understanding of what the town was like before, during and after the battles that took place in and around Gettysburg. The center has artifacts, historical documents, interactive displays, and 3-D productions. You can also hear accounts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things during a time of chaos.
7. Eisenhower National Historic Site
The Dwight David Eisenhower National Historic Site is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the original home of former president Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie. The house today is visited by guests from around the world. The park encompassing the house provides for many different activities for people of all ages. The Eisenhowers' donated their home to the National Park Service in 1967, just two years before the former president died.
8. Gettysburg National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service)
Fought over the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important conflicts of the Civil War. The fate of the nation was proven in the summer of 1863 when General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, led his army north into Pennsylvania, bringing the war directly into Union territory. The Union Army, commanded by Major General George Gordon Meade, met the Confederate invasion near the Pennsylvania crossroads town of Gettysburg, and what began as a chance encounter quickly turned into a desperate, ferocious battle. Despite initial Confederate successes, the battle turned against Lee on July 3rd, and with few options remaining, he ordered his army to retreat to Virginia, but not before 50,000 casualties were caught in the battle. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted not only in Lee's retreat to Virginia, but an end to the hopes of the Confederate States of America’s independence.
9. Gettysburg Address Memorial
Though not the exact site of the Gettysburg Address, this memorial commemorates the speech given by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. It is located in the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The memorial consists of a bust of Lincoln flanked by two plaques. Lincoln's speech was part of a day-long dedication ceremony at the cemetery, an event that local planners hoped would promote the city of Gettysburg. Although the event's planners anticipated that the event's main event, a two-hour a speech by famed orator Edward Everett would be the highlight of the day, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address would become one of the most cherished well-known speeches in American history.
10. Majestic Theater
Built by local business owner Henry Scharf and located near the historic Gettysburg Hotel, the Majestic Theater opened in 1925. The theater seated 1,200 patrons and was a favorite location of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower when they lived in Gettysburg. The theater was restored to its 1920s beauty thanks to the efforts of preservationists who secured over $16 million for restoration efforts and completed their work in 2005.
