Beyond the Gatehouse - Evergreen Cemetery - Gettysburg

We have visited the Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg on many different occasions.   We even go to the cemetery multiple times every time we are in Gettysburg to find a new grave, or to perform some new research.   This post is dedicated to the history of the cemetery.

The Evergreen Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Gettysburg, predating the National Cemetery by almost a full decade;  because of its close vicinity to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, there is a common misconception that the Evergreen Cemetery is owned by the National Park Service, but Evergreen Cemetery is privately owned and operated.

David McConaughy, a noted attorney in Gettysburg, is credited as its founder and worked with a committee of about 21 prominent Gettysburg citizens to establish the cemetery.

The cemetery is located at:  799 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA 17325 and is open to the public.

This cemetery has an extensive history from before the battle, during the battle, and even after the battle.   We produced a video that discusses the history of the cemetery, some of the paranormal activity that takes place, and our personal experiences.   You can watch the video below.

On our last visit to the cemetery, Marianne was finally able to get in touch with the current Supervisor of the grounds and obtain his book and map about the cemetery.   This gave us some additional information that we could use to produce our video.

The gatehouse itself not only served as the main entrance to the cemetery, but was also the living quarters of the grounds keepers over the years.   This building was also used as a field hospital during the battle. 

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The cemetery was also the property of the dedication of the National Cemetery in Gettysburg.   Most people refer to this as the Gettysburg Address; however, that was only the 2 1/2 minute speech that was delivered by Abraham Lincoln during the dedication.   The following photograph from the Library of Congress shows the location of the platform in comparison to the Gatehouse and the location of the National Cemetery.

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The Gatehouse has been beautifully restored and still stands at the entrance of the cemetery today.   In later years, the living quarters was expanded to a larger house which you can see today.

We have also created two other blog posts that are related to this cemetery as well, if you would like some more information:

• Notable Interments at the Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg
• The Angel of Gettysburg - The Story of Elizabeth Thorn.

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Please let us know down in the comments below if you have been to the Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, and share with us your experiences and adventures.

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