A Tour of Mt. Joy Township

A Tour of Mt. Joy Township’s Historic Baltimore Pike : 

A Tour of Mt. Joy Township’s Historic Baltimore Pike FROM 1809 TO THE PRESENT

THE BALTIMORE PIKE : 

THE BALTIMORE PIKE In Adams County before 1800, the population centers were towns, villages or hamlets. The distinction between them was the number of people who lived in each. Their formation and development depended upon the local economy as the craftsman, merchants and others supported themselves. Settlements which formed after 1800 usually remained as hamlets. Two Taverns, along the Gettysburg-Littlestown Road was named for the two large stone houses which in the early days functioned as taverns Early in the County’s history, residents petitioned the courts for roads to help end isolation of the area. By 1770, a road to serve Adams County as a link to Baltimore was established. The Shippensburg Road, or the Gettysburg -Petersburg (Littlestown) Turnpike Pike, follows closely the present Route 97. If a settlement had grown large enough to be recognized as a town, it would have the presence of a post office. On May 8, 1794, Congress authorized the creation of “post roads” for mail delivery to the “post offices” established along these routes. The Shippensburg Road (The Baltimore Pike) was such a road. Two Taverns was a post town for nearly a century. The post office was discontinued in 1922 and mail service came from Gettysburg.

THE BALTIMORE PIKE : 

THE BALTIMORE PIKE Gettysburg, on April 7, 1807, granted entrepreneurs the right to construct an artificial road through Petersburg (Littlestown) to the Maryland line. The act stated that any farmers traveling to one portion of his farm to another need not pay tolls. People attending church or funerals also were exempt from tolls on the Gettysburg to Petersburg Turnpike. The Gettysburg and Petersburg Turnpike Company in 1904 imposed regulations for the passage on the road; which included (various toll fees on) sheep, cattle, horse and rider, wagons, stage coaches, sleighs and sleds. These regulations along the Turnpike were also applied to “traction engines” and automobiles. When the Turnpike was established, the toll gate keeper expected the traveler to inform him of the distance traveled. Fines were imposed on travelers who misinformed the gate keeper or on those who made detours around the gate to avoid paying the toll. (Bloom, 1992) The road was also used for moving mail, which was often carried by stage coaches. The Gettysburg-Petersburg Turnpike was in existence from 1804 to 1914. However, the final acquisition of the toll road by the state was not completed until 1919.

THE BALTIMORE PIKE : 

THE BALTIMORE PIKE The enslavement of blacks was considered an acceptable practice in Adams County until prohibited by law in 1780. In years prior to the Civil War, the Baltimore Pike was an active route for the Underground Railroad, with hiding places such as Mark’s Mill and perhaps the Wert family’s spring house. In Two Taverns, the taverns were the locations of many anti-slavery meetings. Located along the Baltimore Pike were two of Mt. Joy Townships’ one-room schools. Today, only the Pleasant Grove School (Mud College) remains. This building is owned by the Township, and it serves public education by offering a class in “A Day in the One Room School”. The White Run School, originally located what today is the on-ramp for the junction of Interstate Route 15 North, is now a private home located on Highland Avenue Road. The White Run School was the only one-room school of Mt. Joy Township which was utilized during the Civil War. The U.S. Sanitary Commission began, on July 4th, 1863, to use the schoolhouse for their supplies that furnished all the nearby hospital sites until July 7th. On July 7th, Provost Marshal of the Army of the Potomac used this same building for his offices and headquarters.

G. FLEMMING HOKE TOLLHOUSE“HOKE’S GATE” : 

G. FLEMMING HOKE TOLLHOUSE“HOKE’S GATE” At the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, the wounded were taken away from the scene of the fighting to neighboring houses to be treated. In the Adams Sentinel, an article states that a Union brigadier general wounded in the battle had been brought to this house. A staff officer, Lieutenant Josiah M. Favill, recalled the following: “General Samuel K. Zook, was mortally wounded on July 2…Surgeon Wood after examining the wound told us it was fatal…being no shelter … we took the general on a stretcher and carried him to small house some distance in the rear on the Baltimore road, close to a bridge crossing a small creek”. John B. Linn, who was visiting the battlefield from July 6-11, said he spoke to the gate-keeper Hoke and learned that General Zook had been wounded through the breast and brought to the house the evening of July 2. On July 3rd, Zook was moved to another house further away and died at five p.m. The stone house called “Hoke’s Gate” served as a toll house for the Gettysburg –Petersburg Turnpike. Various charges were required to be paid to the gate keeper for transporting animals or goods to the markets in Baltimore.

ADAM WERT : 

ADAM WERT Adam Wert was a Gettysburg educator in both German and English as well as a medical doctor. He was instrumental in the creation of the Adams County Anti-Slavery Society and was an energetic supporter of the movement in the County. He was a founder in the Society and assisted in writing its constitution. He also served as the Society’s vice-president. He was a delegate to the State Anti-Slavery Conventions in 1835, 1836, and 1837. Adam served in the War of 1812. He was an enlightened farmer and served as the burgess of Gettysburg. He was a staunch temperance man. His close friend was Thaddeus Stevens, with whom he shared educational and anti-slavery passions. Adam saved many of the anti-slavery pamphlets and Civil War items. His son, J. Howard Wert continued to develop the collection of records begun by his father. In 1863, the Wert family lived on a farm, which is located on White Run Road.

THE AARON SHEELY FARM : 

THE AARON SHEELY FARM The Aaron Sheely Farm became the headquarters for General Marsena Patrick, in 1863 who was provost marshal for the Army of the Potamac. He was responsible for the care and transportation of all prisoners, wagon trains and hospital guards. All Confederates left behind were prisoners of war. They were guarded on the Aaron Sheely farm and the injured soldiers were cared for there. This famous barn and land served not only as the prisoner of war camp but also as General Patrick’s headquarters. To be near the prisoners he stayed at the barn. On July 2nd, General Patrick finished interviewing “a great many Prisoners” He then moved forward to Gettysburg where he formed a central depot for Rebel captives. This depot was somewhere within Union lines and south of Gettysburg, possibly along or adjacent to the Baltimore Pike.

THE AARON SHEELY FARM : 

THE AARON SHEELY FARM By July 3rd General Patrick had over 2,000 prisoners. By the close of that day, Patrick had moved his POW depot to the rolling ground near “White Church” on the Baltimore Pike beyond White Run, placing his headquarters temporarily at the nearby bank barn of Aaron Sheely. The barn was the only large structure in the vicinity that was not in use as a hospital. The Confederates in captivity at this time were from General Longstreet’s assault. As early as July 4th, plans were underway to start moving the prisoners to railroads so that they could be transported to the large prisoner-of-war camps already in place by the Union forces.

ROCK CREEK/WHITE RUN UNION HOSPITAL COMPLEX : 

ROCK CREEK/WHITE RUN UNION HOSPITAL COMPLEX The Rock Creek/Union Hospital Complex is located southeast of Gettysburg along Rock Creek, White Run and various tributaries. This area of land of 13 contiguous properties made up the hospitals sites of the First, Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth and Twelfth Corp. of the Army of the Potomac. The hospital complex occupied the high ground which rises sharply from the creeks. From July 2 to the middle of August 1863 these corps and division hospitals were in the Union rear. The Rock Creek/White Run Union Hospital Complex encompasses the largest cluster of corp. hospitals associated with the Battle of Gettysburg. It was critical that good water be readily available, which is why this location was chosen. The district does not include all of the Union hospitals but rather encompass some of the major treatment sites. All the hospitals were in operation until Camp Letterman was established in late July 1863.

ROCK CREEK/WHITE RUN UNION HOSPITAL COMPLEX : 

ROCK CREEK/WHITE RUN UNION HOSPITAL COMPLEX This Union Hospital complex is an important part of the Battle of Gettysburg history because it cared for approximately 27, 999 wounded and impacted the local citizens. The large amount of incapacitated men had to be fed, treated for wounds and their complications and sheltered from the weather. All farms in the immediate areas were pressed into service to provide for the care of the wounded for days and weeks after the three day battle. Some of the buildings in this area postdate the battle. The landscape itself, with its terrain and other natural features, made this an attractive choice for the cluster of hospitals that survives intact to this day. The district has 13 properties listed on the National Register which were the hospital sites and they are listed under the historic names from the battle era. There are 11 contributing buildings and 28 non-contributing buildings where there is newer residential infill.

The DANIEL SHEAFFER FARM : 

The DANIEL SHEAFFER FARM Daniel Sheaffer bought the property in 1845. The property of 69 acres was farmed and Sheaffer ran a saw mill for a short while providing lumber for bunks and coffins for the Third Corps casualties. After the Battle of Gettysburg, the farm was occupied by elements of the Third and Twelfth Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Many casualties were treated here both in the house and barn. Once the house and barn were filled, the casualties then occupied tents. The surgeon in charge at the time was Thaddeus Hildreth.

THE HENRY BEITLER FARM : 

THE HENRY BEITLER FARM In 1863 the Beitler family owned a 24-acre farm near the junction of Low Dutch Road and the Baltimore Pike. The 1858 County map shows a "store" on this site too. On July 3rd, 1863 wounded soldiers were brought to the Beitler farm for treatment. According to the account of Mrs. Elizabeth Thorn, the house was filled with wounded and sick soldiers.

THE HENRY BEITLER FARM : 

THE HENRY BEITLER FARM There also is a very good possibility that General Alfred Pleasonton, commander of all Union Cavalry used the Beitler house for his headquarters on July 2nd and 3rd. An eyewitness account from July 3, 1863, describes amputations that were taking place in a wagon shed on the property. The severed limbs were placed in the corn crib then hauled away by the wagon loads. The farm was an excellent location due to the high ground. It also was directly on the crossroad that the Federal Calvary used to move from the Baltimore Pike to the Hanover Road, and the cavalry battlefield was only a short distance from the house.

Trostle Farm : 

Trostle Farm This farm is considered the Sixth Corps hospital. Since the Sixth Corps was not heavily engaged in battle they had few causalities. The hospital served the Second, Third and Fifth Corps under the direction of Dr. Chamberlain and Dr. Oakley. This hospital served about 200 wounded. The U.S. Government hospital marker near the site states, “The division field hospitals of the Sixth Corps were established July 2, 1863 near the Trostle House… these hospitals cared for 315 wounded. The wounded were kept on the barn floor but due to the heat, they were moved outside onto the hill behind the barn in order to prevent infection.  This hospital was built and finished in the Spring of 1863. Siding from the barn was used for coffins.  88 Union soldiers and 11 confederates were buried on this farm near an area know as ‘Walnut Row’.”

TROSTLE FARM : 

TROSTLE FARM

Jacob Schwartz Farm I “Second Corp Hospital” : 

Jacob Schwartz Farm I “Second Corp Hospital” The property became a Federal Corp hospital on July 3, 1863, and remained so through the middle of August. The farm had approximately 2,300 Union and about 1,000 Confederate wounded soldiers. Most of the confederates were captured during General Longstreet’s assault of July 3 rd. Surgeon Dwinell recorded 3, 260 wounded and 953 southerners. By July 15th about 532 men remained. This hospital was in close proximity to the First, Sixth, and Twelfth Corps and its wounded spread into parts of the Third and Fifth Corps.

Jacob Schwartz Farm II Third Corps Hospital : 

Jacob Schwartz Farm II Third Corps Hospital This hospital site overlapped the other hospitals sites. It contained soldiers from Second, Fifth and Sixth Corp. This hospital was well organized and center to the other hospitals. Lewis Schaeffer, 68th Pennsylvania, a nurse, was put in charge of Ward 20 of the first division hospital. Schaeffer wrote in his diary that Doctor William Hayes worked at this hospital and Dr. James T. Calhoun was the Medical director.

The Isaac Lightner Farm : 

The Isaac Lightner Farm The Isaac Lightner farm is located on Rt. 97 diagonally from White Church. Private John Chase of the 5th Maine Battery wrote that he was taken to the First Army Corps Hospital at the Lightner farm. It was three days before his wounds were dressed and several days after that before he was taken from the barn and received treatment in the house. Greenleaf T. Stevens, the commanding officer of the 5th battery was also treated on the farm. In a damage claim filed after the war, Mr. Lightner stated that all the buildings on his 115 acre farm were occupied by the First Corps from July 2nd to July 20th. Not only were the buildings all used but there were a lot of hospital tents erected as well. The barn no longer stands however the house remains to this day.

MARK’S GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH “WHITE CHURCH”(Evangelical Holiness Church) : 

MARK’S GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH “WHITE CHURCH”(Evangelical Holiness Church) “White Church” (founded in 1789) was already an active church before the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1863, the building was described as a wood church constructed of hewed logs, weather –board on the outside and plastered on the inside. Locally it was called “White Church”. The Church became a hospital immediately following the Battle of Gettysburg. By July 1, 1863, it was found the doors were taken off the church and one door was being used as an amputation table. The pews were taken out and some were cut up to make bunks. Tables were used as beds for the soldiers. There were 1229 wounded soldiers treated at the 1st Corps hospitals. The hospital was under the supervision of General Patrick, Provost Marshall of the Army of the Potomac. He recalled” I took possession the evening of the 1st, of a small white church building on the Baltimore road …Besides the men of our army, the next day 2nd July Gen. Patrick had placed on the lawn and grove near the church several hundred wounded rebels, who were fed and had their wounds cared for….”

Two Taverns : 

Two Taverns The name “Two Taverns” comes from the two stout, old, stone dwellings presently located diagonally across the Baltimore Pike from one another. The precise dates of construction remain unsubstantiated. The developing hamlet of Two Taverns sprang from a natural conjunction of paths and roads that connected settlements. The need for a school house was the result of growth in the number of settlers. The Two Tavern one-room school house still stands. With increase of settlers and the need for communication, Two Taverns was designated a post town long before the actual presence of a “brick-and-mortar” Post Office (which has long since been decommissioned).  On the morning of July 1, 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg began north of Gettysburg. General Slocum and his 12th Corps troops had spent the night near Littlestown and that morning advanced to Two Taverns. In the afternoon the 12th Corps moved from Two Taverns to Gettysburg to support the Union forces.

Two Taverns : 

Two Taverns General George Armstrong Custer and his Cavalry Brigade of Michigan Wolverines arrived at Two Taverns late on the night of July 2. They left Two Taverns in the early morning hours of July 3 to join David Gregg’s Cavalry near the intersection of the Low Dutch Road and Hanover Road. That afternoon they engaged Confederate J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry at the area now known as East Cavalry Field. The first murder in Adams County occurred June 23, 1818. Robert Hunter attacked Henry Heagy by scythe in Larimer’s meadow, adjacent to Larimer’s Tavern, the larger tavern at Two Taverns. Heagy was taken and laid out on the barroom floor. Even with Dr. Miller’s attention, Heagy died the following week.

Two Taverns : 

Two Taverns The Mount Joy Meteorite, is said to be the largest meteorites found east of the Mississippi River. It is possible the meteorite fell in November according to the Gettysburg Sentinel Nov. 18, 1833 ,”The whole heavens appeared to be illuminated by countless meteors, of different sizes.” The meteorite was discovered in 1877 by Jacob Snyder on his farm near Two Taverns. The meteorite weighed about 800 pounds. The largest portion of the meteorite is today located in the Museum of Natural History, Vienna, Austria. However, a small specimen is on display at the Adams County Historical Society.   Two Taverns became a natural social center where boarders, travelers and residents alike eagerly traded and caught up on the latest news, gossip and politics. Grace Lutheran Church was established in 1876. Over the years, Two Taverns became the home for trades, cigar companies, a stone creamery, a gunsmith, burial vault maker, stores, dress making shop, furniture manufacturer, fruit market, fine dining and school and much more!

The Stafford Inn - Larimer’s Tavern : 

The Stafford Inn - Larimer’s Tavern In architecture, both the taverns are consistent with the Georgian Style. The Two Tavern structures utilized the rich building resources of the region. The brown fieldstone, clay, and lime along with hand hewn log timbers were used in the foundation and framing. Ancestors of seven generation who owned and lived in the larger tavern claimed the property was purchased by one of the family members December 31, 1795, when the tavern was already well established by the name of “The Stafford Inn”. The larger of the Two Taverns provided lodging, spirits and meals to travelers. More “aristocratic” coach guests and paying patrons were expected to take a room and partake of hearty fare during their journey. The Stafford Inn was owned by seven generations of the Snyder family. They achieved meritorious military history and made notable contributions in their medical careers.

BLACKSMITH/TAVERN: TWO TAVERNS : 

BLACKSMITH/TAVERN: TWO TAVERNS It was common to have different classes of taverns to accommodate different classes of travelers. As the large Conestoga wagons rumbled to a stop, it’s likely the humble teamsters or wagoners slept under their wagons in warm weather or spread out on the barroom floor in cooler weather. The smaller of the Two Taverns stabled the horses, provided blacksmithing services, and accommodated the basic needs of the drivers.

Durboraw Farm : 

Durboraw Farm The Durboraw Farm is located about a mile northeast of the village of Two Taverns. When Lt. Isaac Durboraw of Company K, visited his family’s farm on July 4nd after, he found his home filled with wounded soldiers, one of whom was General Solomon Meredith. At least, two Confederate soldiers from the 22nd Georgia and the 14th Virginia Infantry regiments were buried at the Durboraw property, which shows that some Confederate wounded were treated at the hospital located on the farm as well.

Jesse Worley Farm : 

Jesse Worley Farm This handsome working cattle farm is located about 3/4ths of a mile southwest of the most remote federal Civil War hospital from the Gettysburg battlefield. It was the Third division field hospital of the Fifth corps and has the official government marker citing it as a Civil War hospital. Many of the original buildings are in daily use for farming, including a Pennsylvania style bank barn and a farm house.