Mary Thompson Place History Introduction

The Mary Thompson House
Lee’s Headquarters at Gettysburg

Over the next few weeks, a discussion about General Robert E. Lee’s Headquarters will take place through this blog.  Any Civil War Trust member understands the importance of preserving America’s battlefields for future generations, but that understanding must be spread to the general population, especially our younger generations.  As a member of the Trust's Teacher's Regiment, some of the most rewarding experiences in my career revolved around students actively engaging in historic preservation.  One of the more recent, yet significant preservation efforts took place at the battlefield of Gettysburg.  

Gettysburg Daily, October 22, 2016.  Shows an aerial photograph of the Thompson property prior to preservation by
The Civil War Trust.  Currently, parking lots, pool, hotel, and restaurant are removed.

A traveler heading east on Chambersburg Pike (Route 30) will go over a series of rolling hills before Seminary Ridge comes into sight.  On July 1^st, 1863 General John Buford of the 8^th Illinois

Brigadier General John Buford

Cavalry, from the Seminary Cupola, would have seen a defensive strategy in operation among his troopers, a defense in depth.  Firing at the peak of each hill, the Union cavalrymen successfully slowed the Confederate advance.  After successfully maneuvering over these hills, that traveler will be awarded with the view of open fields and Seminary Ridge, home to the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Gettysburg.  As the traveler reaches the ridge, just a few yards North of the Chambersburg Pike stands a 1 ½ story stone building.  Today, it is preserved to its form of 1863, thanks to the Civil War Trust.  This stone building is the subject of debate, analysis, and the next several posts on this blog.

On July 1^st 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia, under General Lee, pushed the Union forces through and to the South of the town of Gettysburg.  Then, Lee made his headquarters on the property of the widow Mary Thompson, including the stone house just off the Chambersburg Pike.  This 1 ½ story stone building has a complex history that raises many questions, including but certainly not limited to:

Who was the true owner of the property? 

Was this truly Robert E. Lee’s Headquarters during the battle?

Why did it take over 150 years after the battle for the property to be preserved and protected?

Why is this location important to the Battle of Gettysburg?

The answers to these, and many other questions regarding the Thompson House, evidence will be presented over the next several weeks in various forms; photography, interviews, newspaper articles, published secondary sources, etc.  The goal of this research is to present a more complete story of this location and its history while encouraging a promotion to preserve land.

This past weekend I was honored to meet with Licensed Guide and Author Tim Smith who provided an abundance of information and resources to assist in the development of this research.  With the resources from the Adams County Historical Society, The Civil War Trust, Tim Smith, and Garry Adelman, Director of History and Education at The Civil War Trust, the story of the Mary Thompson House is more complete.  The above presented revelations not commonly known or presented to visitors of the battlefield and assisted greatly in the development of this research.

From uncertainty in ownership, accusations of being a brothel, and claims that the property was not Lee's Headquarters, this location has a complex, confusing, yet interesting history.  The Thompson House is important to the historical analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg and is significant to the history of preservation.

Using era photographs, we can see the accuracy and effort of the Civil War Trust's preservation of the property. All photographs taken Saturday, November 5th, 2016.

Matthew Brady's 1863 Photograph from Chambersburg Pike
(Facing Northeast)

Library of Congress, Uknown Photographer, 1863

(Facing North)

Library of Congress, Uknown Photographer, 1903

(Facing East)

William Tipton's 1913 Photograph (Chambersburg Pike in Foreground)

(Facing Northwest)

Library of Congress, Photographer Unknown, 1913

(Facing Northwest)

Courtest of Garry Adelman, Civil War Trust, Thompson Property

(Facing East Southeast)

As you will see, this property was involved in all three days of the Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863.

Please, feel free to ask any questions, comment, share, and most importantly, debate the findings.  Continue to check back over the next several weeks to examine the findings of the research and to Hash Out History!