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Gettysburg - Part 2
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
President Eisenhower’s home is a classic of the 50s.
We were tired from all the history we crammed into our heads yesterday, but like the soldiers at Gettysburg, we forged on.
In the morning we picked up a shuttle bus at the National Park Welcome Center and headed over o the Eisenhower National Historic Site. This is a 189 acre farm, adjacent to the battlefield, was formerly owned by Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower. In 1955, Ike recuperated here after an illness, and it became the "temporary White house." In 1961, the Eisenhowers retired here after 45 years of public service. Mamie continued to live here until her death in 1979, and the National Parks Service took over the property in 1980, and has kept everything as it was when the Eisenhowers lived there.
The tour included the main house as well as access to all of the grounds. The 1880s barn/milk house had been turned into a Secret Service agent room, and the garage was used as a guest house for visitors, often famous dignitaries. Presidents, kings, and world leaders were invited here to informally discuss the issues of the day. President Eisenhower enjoyed giving infamous two hour tours of the grounds on his golf cart. There is an expansive view to the west which remains today as all farmland.
After spending a whole day emerging ourselves in the Battle of Gettysburg, seeing the house was going forward in time. The formal living room contained an abundance of gifts, like a rug from the Shah of Iran and black lacquer tables from South Korea. This was a time when presidents were allowed to keep whatever gifts they received while in office, and the well respected Ike and Mamie received many.
The dining room was also formal in design with heavy drapes, red tapestry chairs and large silver serving pieces displayed. Though Mamie herself came from a wealthy family, the rest of the house was very warm and informal in the 1950s motif and looked as though my grandparents might have lived here. The sun porch was decorated in casual driftwood furniture, with a large console black and white television set. The bathroom was tiled in pink, Mamie's favorite color, and laden with monogrammed towels. The bedroom, also decorated in pink, proved Ike was a man secure in his masculinity. Mamie really liked the color pink, as the linen closet proved. Covered by a glass door, we saw all of the towels and sheets stacked neatly-- all pink.
Mrs. Moaney, the Eisenhowers’ maid, is still alive and in her late 80s. Her room has the old fashioned wooden ironing board still up and ready for use. The kitchen is all wood, and a den, also in wood, has a huge fireplace with a rifle over the mantle. The whole house looks as if it was frozen in time, reflecting the styles of the 50s and 60s.
After enjoying this little bit of presidential history, our next stop was the Cyclorama Center. This was yet another way to show the three days of battle at Gettysburg. The Cyclorama is a 360 degree painting on canvas, originally done in 1884 and been on display in Gettysburg since 1913. After ascending up a steep winding ramp for what seemed like forever, we realized that the show is the painting surrounding you at the top. You stand during the narration with lights out, as focus is drawn to different lit sections of the painting. The painting is in sore need of repair and will be restored soon at a cost of nine million dollars. Though the cost seems steep for a painting, this is a long lost art, which was around before motion pictures were even invented. Today, only 26 historical paintings of this magnitude are left.
General Lee's Headquarters was next on our agenda. Built in 1834, Old Lady Thompson, a widow, owned the house and remained in the cellar as her house was taken over by General Robert E. Lee and his senior officers. All of her clothing and bedding were used to dress the wounded, and her carpets wrapped the bodies of the dead. When the battle was over, all that was left was an empty stone house and a fenceless yard. This was a dramatic representation of the human cost of war.
The staggering numbers are repeated over and over again. At Gettysburg, there were 180,000 men engaged in battle. The chance of surviving the battle was one in four. The whole Civil War took 618,000 Americans--more than all of our wars from the Revolution through the Korean War. Some say that President Lincoln was actually the last casualty of the Civil War.
We finished up our tour of Gettysburg with another great meal. We ate at Dunlop's Restaurant and Bakery, where the soups, sandwiches and pies are all home made. This is a family owned and operated restaurant, where bakery items can be taken home. I especially enjoyed the peach pie.
I found the Gettysburg experience to be moving and riveting. The depth of commitment to a cause and the tremendous loss of human life make a story that cannot be trivialized. It is a history lesson to be learned over and over again.
Part 1
Part 2
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