Results tagged “Gettysburg National Military Park” from York Town Square

In the final days of Gettysburg's Electric Map's showing in 2007, Mitchell Keiper visited the map while on a field trip from Wisconsin. A photo caption aptly summed up the recent story of the map. Some students said they thought the narrator's voice was boring. Mitchell said he thought the program was interesting. Gettysburg National Military Park is seeking a solution to address both views. Also of interest: Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map, Restored Gettysburg Cyclorama arriving in new home and Gettysburg's Electric Map blinking in finale season.

The Gettysburg National Military Park's Museum and Visitors Center is drawing high marks from patrons, The Evening Sun in Hanover has reported.

But many give a brief critique: "I really wish that you still had the map."

Before demolition of the old visitors center, the map was taken apart and is now in storage.

Park officials are considering bringing back the map in video format, as this excerpted Evening Sun (9/13/09) story reports:

Workers started taking down the old Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center this week. The land eventually will be returned to its 1863 appearance. The former Cyclorama building will remain standing pending outcome of a lawsuit. Background posts: Two developers have plans for a relocated Gettysburg Cyclorama building and Gettysburg Cyclorama critics: Reviews ranged from 'huge dinosaur' to 'I was captivated' and Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map.

The former visitors center/Electric Map building at the Gettysburg Battlefield, source of so many memories, is coming down.

The Hanover Evening Sun reported on the beginning of the end of the building (3/24/09):

This illustration, from the York Daily Record/Sunday News and drawing from the title of the popular Civil War book, shows in broad brush the Confederate advance across York County in late June 1863. Wrightsville became the east-most point of the Confederate thrust. Scott Mingus' "Flames Beyond Gettysburg" explores Gen. John B. Gordon's Confederate raid to the Susquehanna River. He will address the Confederate advances through the county at 7 p.m. today at the York County Civil War Roundtable and at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Greater Dover Historical Society. Background posts: Signs point to York, 'Prize of the Confederacy,' and other York/Adams Civil War wonders and Poster highlights the life of a Civil War soldier and Pro/Con: Should York's leaders have surrendered to the rebels?.

Scott Mingus is on the speaking trail telling the story of the Confederate invasion of York County as detailed in his recently released "Flames Beyond Gettysburg."

And he's doing some neat stuff on his blog, Cannonball, part of Yorkblog's suite of history bloggers.

For example, it fuels one's sense of discovery when you learn of a new place to explore or are reminded of something you've long wanted to check out... .

The information booth at the former visitor center for Gettysburg National Military Park was at time a place of bustle. Now it awaits demolition with the rest of the old building, expected in the next three or four weeks. Background posts: Two developers have plans for a relocated Gettysburg Cyclorama building and Half dozen groups probe acquisition of Gettysburg's retired Electric Map and Gettysburg Cyclorama critics: Reviews ranged from 'huge dinosaur' to 'I was captivated'.

A commenter on a inyork.com/ydr story on the upcoming demolition of the old visitors center at Gettysburg National Military Park raised a good point.

Hold an auction to offset part of the $800,000 in projected demolition costs. A photo of the information desk (above), for example, shows framed pictures that people might want for a souvenir.

But perhaps the park service should go one step further... .

Students watch the Electric Map at the former Gettysburg National Park Visitors Center in its final months of operation. Background posts: Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking, Gettysburg Cyclorama, with new shape, set for Sept. display and Shrink wrapping in Electric Map's future; Gettysburg tooth heads south.

The Electric Map, so familiar to visitors of the old Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center, is collecting dust in its familar room awaiting the carving knife and storage.

That is, unless one of several groups that have asked about this Gettyburg artifact successfully acquire it.

Seems like this is the last opportunity for someone to acquire it for public use before it is sawed into sections and mothballed... .

Matt Gay, with a museum service company, positions a cannon at the Gettysburg (Pa.) National Military Park Museum and Vistor Center. The new center is scheduled to open April 14. Background posts: Shrink wrapping in Electric Map's future; Gettysburg tooth heads south and Gettysburg's Electric Map blinking in finale season.

Plans continue to call for the famous Electric Map at the old visitor's center in Gettysburg to be cut up, shrink wrapped and stored until a use can be found for it.

That was one of several questions the York Daily Record/Sunday News posed to park officials in these days before the opening of the new center.

Here is the Q & A:

Art restorationists work on the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, part of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center and Museum. The cyclorama is scheduled to reopen in the fall, and the new visitors center in April. (See related photo below.) Background posts: Gettysburg Cyclorama gets fist full of funds and Gettysburg Cyclorama, with new shape, set for Sept. display.

The opening of the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center is on schedule to open April 14.

Fundraisers have garnered enough donations to cover the Baltimore Pike center's construction and cyclorama restoration costs, Gettysburg Foundation officials said this week.

The balance of the $125 million to be raised will go to endowments and battlefield restoration.

Here are some facts about the new center, according to an article in the York Daily Record (2/23/08) and Hanover Evening Sun:

Panels of the Cyclorama painting, seen in the new Hunt Avenue visitors center in Gettysburg, await the stitching that will close the gaps. Background posts: Shrink wrapping in Electric Map's future and Restored Cyclorama heading to new home.

Imagine stitching 14 panels in a 377-foot painting that stands 42 feet high.

And further imagine that the painting would not be flat against the wall - as it's been for decades - but bowed in the middle, resembling its original hourglass shape.

That's the job facing restorationists dealing with the painting at the new Gettysburg Cyclorama location.

Workers clean one of 27 cyclorama panels at Gettysburg National Military Park in this 2006 photograph. The park recently received an appropriation to finish the cyclorama restoration and relocation project. (See another restoration photo below.) Background posts: Gettysburg battlefield produces steady supply of news and Gettysburg's Electric Map blinking in finale season.

"How did the Gettysburg National Military Park - without asking - get $3.8 million from the federal government to finish the Cyclorama painting restoration?" the newspaper story began.

The short answer: The federal government came through with the funds... .

This is a view not commonly seen by those visiting the Electric Map - its underbelly. For a topside view, see below. Some map stats: The map is a 30-foot square. It was built in 1938 and installed in its own 554-seat auditorium in 1963. Number of light bulbs? 625. Background posts: Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map and Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking. For numerous additional Civil War-related posts on this blog, see this category.

Gettysburg's Electric Map is for sale.

Soon, the low-tech map that for decades has oriented visitors to the Gettysburg Battlefield will not be part of the National Park Service's offerings.

Two observations:

The most memorable part of the presentation is the announcer's comment that Southern forces arrived at the battlefield from the north and Northern troops entered the field from the south. Those who have followed York County and the Civil War know that a whole division of Southern troops -- 6,000-plus men -- who, indeed, entered the field from the north -- had just arrived from the east.

Got that?

Those were Jubal Early's men, who had countermarched to Heidlersburg in Adams County, northeast of the field, after reaching York and the west bank of the Susquehanna in Wrightsville.

Also, park service stats place Electric Map visitors in 2006 at 228,792 people. At an average price of $3.50 a ticket, sounds like a pretty good business opportunity for someone who wants to preserve the Gettysburg icon. (To see how the park service will handle the map, view the post shrinkwrapping ).

The York Sunday News story follows: ....