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

Lee's Headquarters At Gettysburg

The Riggs House

Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 2018

1. Lee's Headquarters At Gettysburg - The Riggs House Marker

Inscription. In the summer of 1863, Alexander Riggs and his family lived in a house that stood before you, directly across the Chambersburg Pike from Mary Thompson’s. Like most of Gettysburg’s dwellings, the Riggs house was caught up in the whirlwind of battle, first, as part of a Union battle line on July 1, and then within Confederate lines until July 5. It served as a hospital for wounded soldiers. In 2016, the Civil War trust employed ground-penetrating radar to locate the foundation of the Riggs house beneath the soil in front of you.

Erected by Civil War Trust, Civil War Trails.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is July 1, 1863.

Location. 39° 50.075′ N, 77° 14.721′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is at the intersection of Chambersburg Road (U.S. 30) and Seminary Ridge, on the left when traveling west on Chambersburg Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 385 Lincoln Hwy, Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania.

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It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); 95th New York Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); This Breastwork (within shouting distance of

The Riggs House site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 2018

2. The Riggs House site

The disturbed area is the site of the Riggs house foundation/basement, filled in after an archeological dig.

this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.

Also see . . . The Battle of Gettysburg: Thompson House – Lee’s Headquarters. "Stone Sentinels" entry. (Submitted on April 16, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 2018

3. Insert

Insert caption: During the fierce fighting in the woods behind you, a 69-year-old Gettysburg named John J. Burns was wounded while fighting alongside Union troops on July 1. He crawled to the Riggs house and collapsed on its cellar door, seen here in this postwar photograph. Courtesy Rochester Museum and Science Center

Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 2018

4. Insert

Insert caption: For heroically aiding in the defense of his town, John Burns became known as the “:Hero of Gettysburg.” He is seen here roughly two weeks after the battle, recuperating outside his Gettysburg home several hundred yards down the Chambersburg Pike. - Courtesy Library of Congress

Photographed by Larry Gertner, May 2017

5. The Riggs house site

This overgrown lot, site of the Riggs house, was once a satellite parking area for the Quality Inn at the Mary Thompson/Lee's Headquarters house across Chambersburg Road.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 670 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 17, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.