PRESERVATION EFFORTS
Preservation efforts at the Lincoln Cemetery have been community-driven. The Lincoln Cemetery Project Association (LCPA), a non-profit organization, has brought about the largest and most consistent efforts to preserve, memorialize and increase awareness of the cemetery. Before the establishment of the LCPA in the late 1990’s, a number of citizens had worked to restore and maintain this hallowed ground. The local newspaper, The Gettysburg Times, has highlighted a few instances of major cleanup projects. In 1970, members of Gettysburg College’s Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity offered to help the Gettysburg Borough with any type of work. The borough arranged for these men to cleanup the Lincoln Cemetery on May 9th. The borough manager, Charles E. Kuhn, supervised the work which included clearing our poison ivy and mowing the grass.[1] In May of 1974, Boy Scout Troop 88 organized a landscaping restoration of the cemetery with the help of a few seminarians from the Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg. This group weeded the cemetery, spread new top soil, which the Gettysburg Borough provided, to replace any that had been washed away and spread grass seed (see fig. 1, below).[2] In the summer of 1977, the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) worked on a number of community projects in and around Gettysburg. The YCC program was funded by the federal government and administered by the National Park Service. A cleanup of the Lincoln Cemetery was a part of the program that year.[3]
The 1990’s brought another round of community service projects to the cemetery. In April of 1990, the Gettysburg Rotary Club organized a “Cleanupathon” for the recreational park in the town and the Lincoln Cemetery. The borough manager, Charles Starner, stated that the cemetery and the park require more maintenance than most areas and were the hardest to keep up with.[4] In 1992, the Third Ward Concerned Neighbors, a community organization, brought back the traditional Memorial Day services at the cemetery. No one in the town could remember when the tradition stopped, but Concerned Neighbors felt it was important to revive it and honor the men buried at the cemetery who were forgotten by the Memorial Day services at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. At this time, Concerned Neighbors tried to maintain the cemetery, but it was too much and borough officials agree to mow until a better arrangement could be settled.[5] In November of 1995, Dr. Fred Gantz and some of students from the Gettysburg Center of Harrisburg Area Community College worked to reset, clean and replace grave markers, and clear any debris from the cemetery. Gantz helped to organize this project for Make a Difference Day after borough officials made him aware of the Lincoln Cemetery’s needs.[6] Lincoln Lodge No. 145, which was the caretaker and seller of plots for the Lincoln Cemetery from 1921 to 1934, renew its interest in the cemetery by 1998. The lodge held its first annual ball in December of 1997 and the funds raised would be put toward making a monument to honor African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War, erecting a fence around the Lincoln Cemetery, and to getting an Elks Lodge.[7] In the weeks after the second ball on December 5, 1998, Lincoln Lodge 145 gave the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association $1000.[8]
Since its establishment in 1999, the LCPA has accomplished a number of highly beneficial projects for preserving the Lincoln Cemetery and memorializing the veterans buried there. Renovations included flagpole installation, headstone restoration, curb installation, tree planting and perimeter fencing.[9] LCPA established ownership of the cemetery through a quiet title. As no individual or group had clear ownership of the cemetery, LCPA could apply to establish ownership and during the process, anyone with a vested interest in the property could object to LCPA ownership or make their concerns known.[10] The LCPA also has seen the erection and dedication of a number of signs and memorials for the cemetery. In 2002, the Gettysburg National Military Park donated a “Silence and Respect” sign for the cemetery (see fig. 2, below).[11] On November 15, 2003, during the Day of Remembrance ceremonies, a Memorial to Interred U.S. Colored Troops was dedicated and a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission historical marker was unveiled (see fig. 3-4, below).[12] Since 2008, the LCPA found it necessary to lock the gates of the cemetery to help protect and preserve the cemetery as well as to avoid liability issues. The cemetery is still open to the public by request.[13]
The most recent contribution to the cemetery came from two of the creators of this website, Josh Cramer and Maggie Dowling. These graduate students of Applied History at Shippensburg University raised money for a bronze plaque to honor the Sons of Goodwill, who established the Lincoln Cemetery, as a project for a course in Battlefield Preservation. Cramer and Dowling utilized crowdfunding through gofundme.com to find the $1000 for the plaque (see fig. 5, below).[14] In addition to continuing the tradition of Memorial Day services, the LCPA organizes Day of Remembrance services as a part of other events in Gettysburg that celebrate the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the town and the delivery of the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Betty Dorsey Myers, author of Segregation in Death: Gettysburg’s Lincoln Cemetery, is currently the chair of the LCPA.
[1] “College Men Give Cleanup to Cemetery,” Gettysburg Times, May 11, 1970.
[2] “As a Community Service Project,” Gettysburg Times, May 3, 1974.
[3] “Need $900 for Fence at Cemetery,” Gettysburg Times, June 30, 1977.
[4] “Rotary ‘Cleanupathon’ is Saturday,” Gettysburg Times, April 19, 1990.
[5] Robert Holt, “Memorial Day Ritual is Revived,” Gettysburg Times, June 1, 1992.
[6] “Gettysburg Center,” Gettysburg Times, November 24, 1995.
[7] “Lodge Presents Awards,” Gettysburg Times, January 20, 1998.
[8] “Donation,” Gettysburg Times, December 16, 1998.
[9] “Staci L. George, “African-American Veterans Eulogized,” Gettysburg Times, May 31, 2004.
[10] Beth Kanagy, “Lincoln Cemetery Association Mulls Its Long-term Future in Concert with Boro,” Gettysburg Times, February 28, 2002.
[11] “Silence and Respect,” Gettysburg Times, March 22, 2002.“Memorial,” Gettysburg Times, November 17, 2003.
[12] “Memorial,” Gettysburg Times, November 17, 2003.[13]Scot Andrew Pitzer, “Preserving Lincoln Cemetery Requires Lock, Caretaker Says,” May 27, 2011.
[14] Joshua Cramer, “Lincoln Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA,” Gofundme.com, March 30, 2013, accessed November 28, 2013. http://www.gofundme.com/lincolncemeteryPA.
The 1990’s brought another round of community service projects to the cemetery. In April of 1990, the Gettysburg Rotary Club organized a “Cleanupathon” for the recreational park in the town and the Lincoln Cemetery. The borough manager, Charles Starner, stated that the cemetery and the park require more maintenance than most areas and were the hardest to keep up with.[4] In 1992, the Third Ward Concerned Neighbors, a community organization, brought back the traditional Memorial Day services at the cemetery. No one in the town could remember when the tradition stopped, but Concerned Neighbors felt it was important to revive it and honor the men buried at the cemetery who were forgotten by the Memorial Day services at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. At this time, Concerned Neighbors tried to maintain the cemetery, but it was too much and borough officials agree to mow until a better arrangement could be settled.[5] In November of 1995, Dr. Fred Gantz and some of students from the Gettysburg Center of Harrisburg Area Community College worked to reset, clean and replace grave markers, and clear any debris from the cemetery. Gantz helped to organize this project for Make a Difference Day after borough officials made him aware of the Lincoln Cemetery’s needs.[6] Lincoln Lodge No. 145, which was the caretaker and seller of plots for the Lincoln Cemetery from 1921 to 1934, renew its interest in the cemetery by 1998. The lodge held its first annual ball in December of 1997 and the funds raised would be put toward making a monument to honor African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War, erecting a fence around the Lincoln Cemetery, and to getting an Elks Lodge.[7] In the weeks after the second ball on December 5, 1998, Lincoln Lodge 145 gave the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association $1000.[8]
Since its establishment in 1999, the LCPA has accomplished a number of highly beneficial projects for preserving the Lincoln Cemetery and memorializing the veterans buried there. Renovations included flagpole installation, headstone restoration, curb installation, tree planting and perimeter fencing.[9] LCPA established ownership of the cemetery through a quiet title. As no individual or group had clear ownership of the cemetery, LCPA could apply to establish ownership and during the process, anyone with a vested interest in the property could object to LCPA ownership or make their concerns known.[10] The LCPA also has seen the erection and dedication of a number of signs and memorials for the cemetery. In 2002, the Gettysburg National Military Park donated a “Silence and Respect” sign for the cemetery (see fig. 2, below).[11] On November 15, 2003, during the Day of Remembrance ceremonies, a Memorial to Interred U.S. Colored Troops was dedicated and a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission historical marker was unveiled (see fig. 3-4, below).[12] Since 2008, the LCPA found it necessary to lock the gates of the cemetery to help protect and preserve the cemetery as well as to avoid liability issues. The cemetery is still open to the public by request.[13]
The most recent contribution to the cemetery came from two of the creators of this website, Josh Cramer and Maggie Dowling. These graduate students of Applied History at Shippensburg University raised money for a bronze plaque to honor the Sons of Goodwill, who established the Lincoln Cemetery, as a project for a course in Battlefield Preservation. Cramer and Dowling utilized crowdfunding through gofundme.com to find the $1000 for the plaque (see fig. 5, below).[14] In addition to continuing the tradition of Memorial Day services, the LCPA organizes Day of Remembrance services as a part of other events in Gettysburg that celebrate the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the town and the delivery of the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Betty Dorsey Myers, author of Segregation in Death: Gettysburg’s Lincoln Cemetery, is currently the chair of the LCPA.
[1] “College Men Give Cleanup to Cemetery,” Gettysburg Times, May 11, 1970.
[2] “As a Community Service Project,” Gettysburg Times, May 3, 1974.
[3] “Need $900 for Fence at Cemetery,” Gettysburg Times, June 30, 1977.
[4] “Rotary ‘Cleanupathon’ is Saturday,” Gettysburg Times, April 19, 1990.
[5] Robert Holt, “Memorial Day Ritual is Revived,” Gettysburg Times, June 1, 1992.
[6] “Gettysburg Center,” Gettysburg Times, November 24, 1995.
[7] “Lodge Presents Awards,” Gettysburg Times, January 20, 1998.
[8] “Donation,” Gettysburg Times, December 16, 1998.
[9] “Staci L. George, “African-American Veterans Eulogized,” Gettysburg Times, May 31, 2004.
[10] Beth Kanagy, “Lincoln Cemetery Association Mulls Its Long-term Future in Concert with Boro,” Gettysburg Times, February 28, 2002.
[11] “Silence and Respect,” Gettysburg Times, March 22, 2002.“Memorial,” Gettysburg Times, November 17, 2003.
[12] “Memorial,” Gettysburg Times, November 17, 2003.[13]Scot Andrew Pitzer, “Preserving Lincoln Cemetery Requires Lock, Caretaker Says,” May 27, 2011.
[14] Joshua Cramer, “Lincoln Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA,” Gofundme.com, March 30, 2013, accessed November 28, 2013. http://www.gofundme.com/lincolncemeteryPA.