Grand Army of the Republic Hall Marker

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Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Grand Army of the Republic Hall

By Craig Swain, February 21, 2009

1. Grand Army of the Republic Hall Marker

Inscription. This structure, built in 1822, served as the Methodist Church for nearly 50 years and still retains a portion of the original burial ground at the rear. After the battle, wounded were cared for here by the Catholic Sisters of Charity from nearby Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In 1880, the Methodists sold the building to the trustees of the Corporal J.H. Skelly Post #9 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), a Union veterans organization. Skelly, a Union soldier from Gettysburg, was mortally wounded at the Battle of Winchester, Virginia on June 13, 1863.

During its active years as a GAR Post the building became a true welcome center, with thousands of returning veterans hosted here during frequent "Campfire Meetings." Restored in 1990 by Historic Gettysburg-Adams County, the building is used for community functions and is the home of Camp #112, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

Erected by Main Street Gettysburg, Inc.

Location. 39° 49.778′ N, 77° 13.773′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. Marker is on East Middle Street, on the right when traveling east. Click for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 53 East Middle Street, Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are

Grand Army of the Republic Hall Photo, Click for full size

By Craig Swain, February 21, 2009

2. Grand Army of the Republic Hall

The marker is at the right. Two replica cannon, resembling 3-inch Ordnance Rifles, flank the building.

within walking distance of this marker. Politics and "Penelope" (about 400 feet away, in a direct line); "...sights and sounds...too horrible to describe..." (about 500 feet away); Adams County World War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Adams County (about 500 feet away); Gettys Crossroads and Tavern (about 500 feet away); "uncertainty and dread" (about 500 feet away); Presidents Attended Service Here (about 600 feet away); Field Hospitals - Cavalry Corps (about 600 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in Gettysburg.

More about this marker. On the right side of the marker is a photograph of the post members. Post #9 G.A.R. Union Civil War Veterans pose on November 20, 1913 during the 50th anniversary of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Photo courtesy Dr. Walter Powell.

Also see . . . G.A.R. Building. From Historic Gettysburg-Adams County, Inc. (Submitted on March 29, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)