The town was laid out in 1785 - 1786 by James Getty and quickly became a convenient junction in what was then the western part of York County. In 1800 Adams County was formed with the help of Walter Smith, the first person to live at 17 Lincoln Square. It was a sleepy crossroads town until 1863 when through a combination of geography, politics and fate, it played a larger than life role in the development of the United States. One can spend hours listing all of the momentous things that occurred during the Civil War; The course of world events that may have been different had the Union not been victorious at Gettysburg and had the United States not remained a large and strong democracy.
In the early 1900's a young soldier was stationed near Gettysburg, and began his military career. Because of this early introduction and because he spent a significant part of his presidential time at Camp David, Dwight Eisenhower returned to Gettysburg in retirement and remained here until his death. Gettysburg and the surrounding County of Adams is a wonderful place to visit and live. Much has been made of the battle around the town and the beauty of the county's agricultural area, with the emphasis on orchards. In addition to our national battlefield, one can visit:
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Houses restored and open to the public representing an earlier life
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Museums depicting events of the battle
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Restaurants for every taste and budget
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The beauty of a small early Pennsylvania town, (our square is truly charming)
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Galleries featuring local and international art
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Gift Shops featuring a diverse selection of local, national and international items
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Antique Shops selling older items of distinction- a purchase of history if you will
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Gettysburg College - a nationally renowned private college complete with architecturally significant buildings, collections of books and art
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Walking ghost tours (a lot of people died here and apparently some never left!)
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The 1826 Lutheran Theological Seminary - oldest Lutheran Seminary in the Americas.
The purpose of this website is to introduce you to Gettysburg and hope you will come visit our town and our store along with the other things you can see and do within an easy walking area.
