Gettysburg
National Military Park staff returned the granite Battery F, 5th US
Artillery monument to its original location, within the footprint of the
old Cyclorama building in Ziegler's Grove, today, September 24. The
monument was moved from its original location in the early 1960s to make
way for the construction of the Cyclorama building. Now that the
demolition of the cyclorama building is complete, funded by the
Gettysburg Foundation, the monument has been returned to its original
location.
Since
2009 Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation
have been returning key portions of the center of the Union battle line
on North Cemetery Ridge to their appearance at the time of the Battle of
Gettysburg, 1863. Completed phases include the demolition of the old
visitor center in 2009; the planting 41 apple trees to reestablish the
Frey orchard (North) in 2010; the removal of the former Visitor Center
parking lot in 2013 and the demolition of the Cyclorama building in
2013.
The
Gettysburg Foundation is now raising funds for changes to the National
Cemetery parking lot which would allow the replanting of missing
portions of Ziegler's Grove, and rehabilitation of the historic terrain
of Cemetery Ridge and Ziegler's Ravine.
Joanne
M. Hanley, Gettysburg Foundation President, states, "The Cemetery Hill
and Cemetery Ridge areas are central in Gettysburg National Military
Park's and the Gettysburg Foundation's efforts to educate millions of
visitors about the battle of Gettysburg, the causes and consequences of
the American Civil War, and the lasting significance of this critical
time in our nation's history. Preservation of this site will forever
enhance the interpretive value of this critical portion of the
Gettysburg battlefield."
Since
2009 Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation
have been returning key portions of the center of the Union battle line
on North Cemetery Ridge to their appearance at the time of the Battle of
Gettysburg, 1863. Completed phases include the demolition of the old
visitor center in 2009; the planting 41 apple trees to reestablish the
Frey orchard (North) in 2010; the removal of the former Visitor Center
parking lot in 2013 and the demolition of the Cyclorama building in
2013.
"These
actions continue to help us meet our goals of improving the integrity
of the battlefield landscapes and improving our visitors' understanding
of what happened at Gettysburg and why it's so important," said Rick
Kendall, Gettysburg National Military Park.
Text and Image Source: Gettysburg Foundation
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