The United Lutheran Seminary today announced an
agreement with the Civil War Trust to permanently preserve 18 acres of
historic open space on Seminary Ridge in Gettysburg. The property,
located on both sides of Seminary Ridge Road, has been a part of the
Seminary since it moved to the site in 1832.
"This property is a gift from God and
we are stewards of this gift. We have a deep love for the property and
its unique historic and scenic character," ULS Acting President-Bishop James Dunlop
said. "For generations, these qualities have inspired thousands of
seminary students as well as visitors from across our nation and around
the world."
Under the terms of the $3.5 million
purchase agreement, the Trust will acquire an 11-acre portion of the
United Lutheran Seminary property straddling Seminary Ridge Road and a
conservation easement on 7 acres along Chambersburg Pike east of those
two parcels. "We feel,
as stewards of this site for more than 180 years, that we have a sacred
responsibility to see it is protected for future generations," Bishop
Dunlop said. "We believe this land needs to be preserved for the next
generations of seminarians, and others, to reflect upon, learn from, and
appreciate."
In remarking on the agreement, Civil War Trust President James Lighthizer
said: "We have long admired the Seminary's commitment to protecting and
maintaining Seminary Ridge. We consider it a privilege to partner with
the Seminary to permanently preserve this iconic landscape."
Conversations, about this agreement, began in 2015, and the Trust has already begun raising funds to preserve the property.
For the Gettysburg
community, the ridge's open land is a favorite gathering place during
special events each year. People assemble there on Independence Day to
watch the fireworks from this high ground. It has been home to the
Gettysburg Brass Band Festival for 21 years. And this August, the
Seminary will host the 5th annual Gettysburg Brewfest, – with craft
brewers, cider makers and food trucks.
Founded in Gettysburg as the Lutheran Theological Seminary
in 1826, the educational institution moved to its present site on
Seminary Ridge in 1832. It is the oldest continuously operating Lutheran
seminary in the nation. In July 2017, it consolidated with the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia to become the United Lutheran Seminary. The Gettysburg Seminary's 1832 building, named Schmucker Hall, figured prominently in the opening of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Standing on high ground a half mile west of town, the campus became a
focal point of the first day's fighting — making Seminary Ridge
synonymous with that action and subsequent combat on July 2 and 3, 1863. Today, the building houses the Seminary Ridge Museum.
Adjacent to
Gettysburg National Military Park and the Lee's Headquarters acreage
protected by the Civil War Trust, the land that the Seminary will
transfer to the Trust is of profound military significance, the
bloodiest Gettysburg ground left in private hands, historians say.
The
determined defense on Seminary Ridge by men from the Union's Iron
Brigade and 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry enabled the army to regroup
and hold Cemetery Hill, key to the ultimate Federal victory at
Gettysburg. Hundreds of soldiers from North and South were felled on the
ground to be purchased by the Trust.
"On this ground occurred the end of the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg and the beginning of the end of the Civil War," said Doug Douds, a retired Marine Corps colonel and Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide who teaches at the U.S. Army War College.
Full Text Link--Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg
.Background Information Link--Civil War Trust
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