What is Gettysburg National Military Park and how large is it?
Gettysburg National Military Park is a 3,785-acre site in Adams County, Pennsylvania, managed by the National Park Service to protect and interpret the landscape of the Battle of Gettysburg. It occupies almost 20% of Cumberland Township and holds portions within the Gettysburg borough limits, including the Soldiers' National Cemetery.
When did Gettysburg National Military Park come under federal control?
The park officially came under federal control on the 11th of February, 1895, through legislation titled "An Act To establish a national military park at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania." Federal land acquisition had begun earlier, on the 7th of June, 1893.
Where was the Gettysburg Address delivered and when?
Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at Gettysburg National Cemetery on the 19th of November, 1863, less than five months after the battle ended. The David Wills House, where Lincoln completed the address, was added to the national park in February 2009.
How many visitors does Gettysburg National Military Park receive each year?
Attendance at Gettysburg National Military Park was 950,000 in 2018, a decline of 86% since 1970. The five major Civil War battlefield parks combined drew 3.1 million visitors in 2018, down 70% from 10.2 million in 1970.
What does the Gettysburg Foundation do for the park?
The Gettysburg Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that partners with the National Park Service to preserve the park and educate the public. It funded and built the Museum and Visitor Center opened in 2008, maintains a cannon shop that preserves nearly 400 cannons, and has provided approximately 20 million dollars in direct support to the National Park Service since 2009.
How is Gettysburg National Military Park being restored to its 1863 appearance?
The National Park Service runs an ongoing program to remove excess tree cover and restore the battlefield to its historical open conditions, replant historic orchards and woodlots, and reintroduce native plants to meadows and road edges. The park is more wooded today than it was during the 1863 battle.