George Weikert Farm Yard Fence - Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District - Gettysburg, PA - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Yes, even picket fences can be contributing structures. This picket fence is typical of a country home, something you would see in a painting. The fence is to the proper right of the house in a triangular formation securing the yard. By my calculations, the fence covers an are of 51 feet X 65 feet or 3,315 feet ² (including the proper right wall of the house). Not including the house there is approximately 202 linear feet of fencing.

Besides being a field hospital and really old, the farm and its buildings itself saw significant fighting, some of it in the Weikert's yard. The house was located just in front of the main Union battle line throughout most of the battle (July 2-5), which made its use for hospital purposes limited. It was most likely used for shelter and concealment by Union skirmishers engaged with Confederate skirmishers near the Trostle buildings and Plum Run on July 2-4. On July 2, Brigadier General John C. Caldwell's division of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's Second Corps rushed past the Weikert House on its way to the Wheatfield. George and his family left the farm during the fighting. Afterwards they returned to scenes of desolation familiar to many Gettysburg residents. The house was a field hospital, with wounded filling the parlor and amputated arms and legs piled outside the windows. According to family history, six men died just in the parlor, and the yard was filled with graves. When the buried were exhumed to be placed in the National Cemetery, the missing parlor rug was found, cut into strips as the top and bottom layers of the burial trench. I tried to get close to see all there was to see but thought it was private property. Little did I know (until I returned home) te George Weikert Farm is now owned by the National Park Service. Before the park service acquired the land, the farm was purchased by survivors of the New Jersey Brigade to presrve the land that the brigade held during the battle.

The George Weikert Farm (and fence) are at the corner where United States Avenue, Sedgwick Avenue and Slocum Avenue all come together. It is one of several Weickert farms in the area at the time of the battle, with three belonging to George's sons and another to a distant cousin. The farmstead in on the left or south side of the Avenue if traveling east along United States Avenue. The barn is about 150 feet from the road. I visited the interpretive on Thursday, July 5, 2012 @ 5:25 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 555 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.

The George Weikert Farm Yard Fence is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The monument is identified as structure number FN30.

From the Nomination Form:
The George Weikert Farm figured prominently in the 3rd day of battle, particularly the 3rd Day with Longstreet's Assualt.

Short Physical Description:
Yard fence consists of 2 types: Post & split rail style w/ 3 rails, and picket style. Posts are 4"x6"x5'4" spaced 10'0". Pickets are 1"x2"x4'0"H spaced 2" apart, nailed to 4x6 & 2x4 back boards, attached to 4x4x4'0"H posts at 8'0"o.c. Picket around house, post & rail at barn.

Long Physical Description: