Existing comment:
Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg
Restoring Seminary Ridge
"This is without a doubt the most important preservation effort we've yet undertaken."
-- - Jim Lighthizer, President, Civil War Trust
In the decades after the battle, the Thompson House became a popular attraction among visitors interested in Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. In 1913, the Chambersburg Pike became part of the famed Lincoln Highway, which significantly increased automobile traffic and tourism to Gettysburg. A museum and gift shop were opened in the stone house with an adjacent campground on the property, followed by a boarding house and tourist cabins. By 1967, a large motel complex and restaurant surrounded the Thompson House.
In 2014, the Civil War Trust announced plans to purchase the entire complex and restore the site to its Civil War appearance. Restoration work began early in 2016 with archeological surveys followed by the removal of the restaurant, swimming pool, non-essential parking lots, and the motel complex. The Trust meticulously restored the 1863 landscape and Thompson house exterior. A non-historic structure atop the original Dustman barn foundation was removed. In the fall of 2016, the historic fences and the trail on which you stand were completed, all thanks to the generosity of the members and supporters of the Civil War Trust. |