FUTURE GETTYSBURG ATTRACTION

On December 16, the Adams County Historical Society kicked off a capital funding drive with the announcement of $2.7 million already donated or pledged to support the construction of a 29,000-square-foot center to house the society’s collection of some one million items. The ACHS has long outgrown its current home, a Victorian era house. “With no fire protection or climate control, we worry that all of Gettysburg’s history could be lost in a matter of minutes,” said Executive Director Andrew Dalton. The new center will be at the battlefield’s north edge and require $5.5 million to construct, with opening slated for the fall of 2022. More than 300 civilian battle accounts, diaries, letters, and published works are in the collection along with objects reflecting battle damage; William Tipton’s camera that captured famed images of the battlefield; a Confederate surgical kit; and American Indian projectiles. “How did Gettysburg become the place we love today? What was Gettysburg like before the battle? We will answer all of these questions, and more, at the new facility,” Dalton said.