Civil War Trust to Host Independence Day Weekend Events at Lee's Headquarters and Throughout Gettysburg

(Gettysburg, Pa.) – This Fourth of July weekend, the Civil War Trust will join with Gettysburg National Military Park to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and our nation’s Independence Day. The Trust will hold several open houses at the site of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Headquarters, which was preserved by the Trust in 2016 as part of a $6 million acquisition and restoration project.

What: July 4th Weekend at Gettysburg

When:

Saturday, June 24 – Sunday, June 25

Artillery firing demonstrations will take place at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The headquarters home will be open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday, July 1 – Sunday, July 2

Visit the Lee’s Headquarters site for a living history weekend with the 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Drill and firing demonstrations will take place on July 1 at 10 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m, as well as July 2 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The headquarters home will be open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tuesday, July 4

A special living history performance will take place on the Fourth of July from 2 – 4 p.m. The historical figures of Robert E. Lee, Thaddeus Stevens and Mary Thompson will be portrayed and engage in conversation about the battle, the burning of Caledonia Iron Works and the effects of the war on the homefront.

Where: Lee’s Headquarters, 401 Buford Avenue, Gettysburg, PA

 

Additionally, be sure to tune in to our Facebook page (facebook.com/americanbattlefieldtrust) throughout the weekend for several live events.  Beginning on July 1, the Trust’s Garry Adelman and Kristopher White, along with expert historians, guides and guests, will showcase the Gettysburg battlefield’s most significant sites. See the Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola, the slopes of Little Round Top, the field of Pickett’s Charge, and more.  Get a glimpse at rare photos and artifacts, and be prepared to submit your questions about the battle and its effects.  For a full schedule of the Facebook Live events, see our events page.

The Lee’s Headquarters building was purchased in trust by renowned abolitionist Congressman Thaddeus Stevens for Mary Thompson, who was the sole resident during the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Prior to its use as Lee’s command center, the property was the scene of brutal fighting on the first day of the battle, as Union forces attempted to check the Confederate advance on Gettysburg.

The Civil War Trust is the premier nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.  To date, the Trust has preserved more than 46,000 acres of battlefield land in 24 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org.

###

The Civil War Preservation Trust became the Civil War Trust in January 2011; the Civil War Trust became a division of the American Battlefield Trust in May 2018. Campaign 1776 was created in 2014 as an initiative of the Civil War Trust; in May 2018 it became the Revolutionary War Trust, a division of the American Battlefield Trust.