Pennsylvania Hall - U.S. Civil War - Gettysburg, PA
N 39° 50.105 W 077° 14.056
18S E 308816 N 4411841
The oldest building at Gettysburg College served as a field hospital for both the Confederates and the Union army during the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 - 3, 1863.
Waymark Code: WMBZ7M
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/07/2011
Views: 6
On June 30, 1863, Union signal officers climbed to the top of the cupola to examine the surrounding terrain. The next day, Union troops stationed in town collided with Confederate forces closing from the north, signalling the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg. Michael Jacobs, a professor of chemistry and mathematics at the college, led Union officers to the hall's cupola to observe the battle and locate advantageous areas on the battlefield.[4]
As Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac became increasingly committed to the battle, casualties mounted. Huge amounts of dead and wounded soldiers were brought into the town, and many buildings in the surrounding area were turned into make-shift hospitals. Pennsylvania Hall, which was a considerably large building, provided enough space for surgeons to set up areas for treatment. Nearly 700 soldiers were treated in the building, and many died on the building and surrounding property.[5]
Soldiers of both armies were treated in Pennsylvania Hall, as control of the College shifted from Union to Confederate forces on the evening of July 1. (Wikiedia)
From my previous waymark:
This is a beautiful building; the arichitectural style is “country style” Greek Revival. On top is a fancy cupola. There are also columns, as found in other buildings on campus as well. Gettysburg College is the oldest Lutheran college in the United States. Pennsylvania Hall, or Old Dorm, as it is known, was built in 1837. It was used as a field hospital for both sides during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Some sources also have the Confederates using the cupola as a signal station during their occupation of Gettysburg. As the building became a field hospital, many students moved their possessions into the President’s office, where they were guarded. Those who did not remove their possessions, but locked their doors thinking they would be safe, were disappointed to find them missing on their return.
And a word form Wikipedia: Pennsylvania Hall, also known as Old Dorm, is the central administrative building of Gettysburg College. Constructed in 1838, it is the college's oldest building. During the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, Pennsylvania Hall was used as a hospital for wounded troops of the Union and Confederate Armies. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.