Cumberland Township near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 18, 2014
1. The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site Marker
This marker is identical to one that can be found on the George Spangler Farm.
About the George Spangler Farm
The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site is one of the most intact Civil War field hospitals used during the battle of Gettysburg. When George Spangler bought the farm in 1848, he had no idea that civil war would erupt thirteen years later and destroy his farmland and crops. For five weeks, from July to August 1863, his family’s homestead was occupied by the Union army’s Eleventh Corps who utilized the buildings and fields as a hospital for some 1,900 wounded Union and Confederate soldiers.
Throughout the years, the Spangler farm has witnessed many changes. Although you can now walk in the footsteps of the Spangler family and soldiers who were treated here, a great deal of work has been done to turn back the years and reveal the property as it was in 1863. The legacy of the George Spangler Farm has been secured through generous donations to the Gettysburg Foundation. The task now is to write the next chapter in the farm’s history and ensure its preservation for centuries to come. As you reflect on the stories of the many people who shaped the history of this place, please consider joining the effort to preserve and rehabilitate this historic site for future generations.
Erected by Gettysburg Foundation
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Science & Medicine • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.
Location. 39° 48.698′ N, 77° 13.529′ W. Marker is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is in Cumberland Township. Marker can be reached from Baltimore Pike (Pennsylvania Route 97), on the left when traveling north. Marker is located outside the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Gettysburg Address (within shouting distance of this marker); Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Prelude To Gettysburg / Gettysburg Showdown (about 400 feet away); Battery K, Fifth U.S. Artillery (about 700 feet away); Battery F, Fourth U.S. Artillery (about 700 feet away); Artillery Brigade (approx. 0.2 miles away); Henry Spangler Farm (approx. ¼ mile away); 10th Maine Battalion (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.
More about this marker. A photograph on the bottom of the marker shows the George Spangler Farm in the 1890s.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 18, 2014
2. The George Spangler Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 18, 2014
3. Marker at the Gettysburg Visitor Center
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
4. Buildings at the George Spangler Farm
The Spangler barn (right), farmhouse and summer kitchen can be seen in this photo.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
5. Summer Kitchen
Spangler Farm served as a field hospital during and after the Battle of Gettysburg. Confederate Gen. Lewis Armistead died in this building on July 5, 1863 after being wounded at Pickett's Charge.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 672 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 20, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
