positions on McPherson and Seminary 

Ridges. In the 1950’s the property was 

developed into the Gettysburg Country 

Club and operated as such until the club 

closed in 2008.

The NPS tried for almost 20 years to 

acquire this property for preservation 

purposes; however, off ers to the country 

club owners and the Susquehanna Bank 

(which foreclosed on the property in 

2008) were declined. In March 2010, a 

developer bought the property and created a development concept plan for over 

200 housing units.

The Conservation Fund, a nonprofi t 

dedicated to protecting important places 

across America, successfully negotiated 

with the developer to acquire fee title to 

the 95-acres and subsequently conveyed 

it to the NPS. 

The Gettysburg Quarterly

Harman Farm Preserved

In March, Secretary of the Interior Ken 

Salazar announced that the National 

Park Service (NPS) acquired 95 acres 

of the former Gettysburg Country Club 

property. The land – now known by its 

historic name, the Emanuel Harman 

Farm – is where major fi ghting occurred 

on the fi rst day of battle, and is now part 

of Gettysburg National Military Park.

“Gettysburg will always have a sacred 

place in America’s heritage for the pivotal 

role it played in our nation’s history and 

for the enormity of the sacrifi ce that took 

place here,” Secretary Salazar said. “With 

the addition of the Harman Farm to the 

Gettysburg National Military Park, we 

are able to include another important 

chapter in the story that helped shape 

our country.”

During the battle, Confederate Brigades 

advanced and retreated over the fi elds 

of the Harman farm to attack Union 

The offi cial newsletter of Gettysburg National Military Park · Spring 2011 · Vol. 18, No. 2

Joanne Hanley, New 

Gettysburg Foundation 

President

The Signifi cance of a Partnership of 

Trust

In early February, Joanne Hanley made 

the transition from a career loaded 

with leadership experience in the National Park Service (NPS) to her new 

role as president of the Gettysburg 

Foundation. The Gettysburg Foundation is the non-profi t educational organization working in partnership with 

the NPS to enhance preservation and 

understanding of the heritage and lasting signifi cance of Gettysburg. 

Joanne believes a strong 

relationship 

between 

partners is 

developed and 

nurtured over 

time, and is 

the result of 

communication, transparency and 

trust. She says, 

“I am deeply honored to be able to 

work to continue our nation’s legacy 

of remembrance in this new capacity 

at Gettysburg. I hold the partnership 

between the public and private sector 

at Gettysburg – between the NPS, the 

Gettysburg Foundation, and the other 

partners – in high esteem. What has 

been created here is an amazing testimony to cooperation and collaboration 

that must continue to succeed.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4.

The passing of the deed, from left, Jim Lighthizer, Civil War Trust; Pat Noonan, The Conservation Fund; Jon Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service; Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior; and Bob Kirby, Gettysburg NMP Superintendent.

Park News National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior
The Eisenhower home needs exterior preservation work, including 

repairs to the shutters, windows, and 

major repainting. We are now doing 

the shutters and windows. The exterior painting will be performed by 

contract this summer.

Cyclorama Building - We also plan 

to complete the public planning process for the future of the Cyclorama 

building and begin implementation 

of the chosen alternative.

Gettysburg National Military Park, established 

in 1895, is the site of the great Civil War 

battle that repulsed the second Confederate 

invasion of the North. The mission of the National Park Service at Gettysburg is to preserve 

and protect the resources associated with the 

battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and provide an understanding 

of the events that occurred there within the 

context of American history. 

Gettysburg National Military Park

1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325

Phone

(717) 334-1124 

E-mail

gett_superintendent@nps.gov

The National Park Service cares for the 

special places saved by the American people 

so that all may experience our heritage.

Monuments and Cannon - Park 

staff at the cannon shop continues 

to rehabilitate cannon carriages in 

the facility rented by the Gettysburg 

Foundation. We are on carriage 

#277 and #278 out of 412. Look for 

newly restored carriages to be placed 

on the fi eld this spring.

The monument preservation branch 

has also been working on contracts 

to repair and restore missing features 

on numerous monuments, including: 18th Pa.; 56th Pa.; 90th Pa.; and 

149th Pa. 

We will be contracting for repairs 

to: 10th Mass., 11th Mass., and 4th 

New York (Smith’s Battery) as well – 

two of which were severely damaged 

by vandalism in 2006.

Upcoming annual cyclic 

maintenance projects include:

• Replace roofs on historic structures

• Design/Construction drawings to 

replace fi re detection systems in 

51 historic structures

• Replace electrical systems in 

barns

• Restore the Collis Memorial

• Cyclic monument preservation 

projects.

• Repaint seven structures at 

Eisenhower NHS

• Rehabilitate the National Cemetery comfort station

• Rehabilitate foundation walls on 

historic structures

• Remove asbestos siding and 

rehabilitate exterior on the the 

Cobean barn

• Replace boilers in historic 

structures

• Stabilize the John Blocher house

• Rehabilitate Cobean house 

outbuildings

• Rehabilitate Eisenhower NHS 

Farm 3 Barn

Rostrum - With funding from a donor to the Gettysburg Foundation, 

the park has the opportunity to restore the National Cemetery Rostrum 

in time for the Sesquicentennial. This 

structure, built in 1879, was one in a 

series of similar rostrums erected in 

Civil War-related national cemeteries 

that same year. The park is currently 

researching how to restore the numerous lost commemorative features 

to the rostrum, such as weeping 

vines and ivy on the trellises.

A Look at Upcoming Projects

2 The Gettysburg Quarterly

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

The Eisenhower 

home, right; the John 

Blocher house along 

Biglerville Road on 

the Gettysburg battlefi eld, center right; 

and the National 

Cemetery comfort 

station, bottom right.
The Gettysburg Quarterly 3

To mark the 150th anniversary of the start 

of the American Civil War, Gettysburg 

National Military Park is launching new 

social media programs, including a blog 

for history and current events and a blog 

for teachers and students of the Civil 

War.

From the Fields of Gettysburg is a new 

weekly blog by park rangers and historians that will explore a wide variety of 

history topics and park news. 

“From the Fields of Gettysburg will be a 

wonderful resource for people anywhere 

in the world who want to know more 

about what happened here, and why 

it’s so important even today,” said Scott 

Hartwig, a supervisory historian at the 

park. “We can blog year-round, in any 

weather, and our visitors don’t even need 

to be in Gettysburg to participate.” 

In addition to Hartwig, numerous park 

historians and rangers will be contributing regularly, including Angie Atkinson, 

Matt Atkinson, Bert Barnett, Troy Harman, John Heiser, Tom Holbrook, Evangelina Rubalcava, and Karlton Smith. 

Katie Lawhon will write about park news 

and management issues. 

The Gettysburg School Bus is a new 

monthly blog for educators that will 

serve as a bridge between the park 

ranger and the teacher, off ering answers 

for classroom questions, new ideas for 

teaching units in the classroom, bulletin 

boards, paper and project ideas, and 

cross-curricular connections with other 

teachers. Barbara Sanders, the park’s 

education specialist, is the blogger. 

Look for the blogs on the park website: 

www.nps.gov/gett. 

Although the offi cial 150th anniversary 

for the Battle of Gettysburg is July 1-3, 

2013, Gettysburg’s commemoration will 

run from 2011 to 2015. The park is joining 

all other Civil War sites, the Gettysburg 

Foundation, and a wide variety of community partners in commemorating the 

150th anniversary of the American Civil 

War. The NPS commemorates these 

defi ning events in our nation’s history 

and their legacy in the continuing fi ght 

for civil rights. Nps.gov/civilwar150 is a 

website with a comprehensive calendar 

of events, historical features and resourcBlogs, Special Events Planned for CW150 

es designed to illustrate the relevancy of 

events that occurred 150 years ago.

“Gettysburg events, activities and programs during the four years will honor 

the brave men and women whose courage and devotion to duty shaped our 

nation,” said Bob Kirby, park superintendent. “We will include stories of both 

well-known and lesser-known events, 

soldiers and civilians, and an important 

goal of the commemoration is to reach 

new and younger audiences — Gettysburg for a New Generation.”

For more information about events and 

programs in the Gettysburg community 

go to www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com.

Hard-working volunteers hit 

the slopes of Little Round Top 

on April 2nd for the Civil War 

Trust’s “Park Day.” Volunteers 

cut brush to reveal historic terrain and original breastworks.
4 The Gettysburg Quarterly

Hanley, continued

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gettysburg National Military Park

1195 Baltimore Pike, Ste. 100

Gettysburg, PA 17325

Joanne’s career in the NPS includes roles as general 

superintendent of National Parks of Western Pennsylvania—including Flight 93 National Memorial 

and Fort Necessity National Battlefi eld; superintendent of Women’s Rights National Historical Park; 

interpretive planner of National Capital Regional 

Offi ce; site manager of Glen Echo and Clara Barton National Historical Sites; and other positions.

Her experience with NPS partnerships and nationally signifi cant sites represents the perfect 

leadership mix for the Gettysburg Foundation. Her 

commitment to our nation’s history and her track 

record at nationally signifi cant sites is a perfect 

complement to facilitating the Foundation’s mission which includes the funding and operation of 

the park Museum and Visitor Center as well as a 

long history of projects in the areas of land, monument and artifact preservation, battlefi eld rehabilitation and education.

To learn more about the mission of the Gettysburg 

Foundation and to become a Friend of Gettysburg 

go to www.gettysburgfoundation.org.

Superintendent Bob 

Kirby handing quarters 

to Gettysburg school 

students during the launch 

event for the new Gettysburg “America the Beautiful” 

quarter held January 25th in 

the park Museum and Visitor Center. A crowd of 1600 

people attended the event. 

Gettysburg quarters are now 

in public distribution. 

Gettysburg Foundation photo 

by Bill Dowling. 

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