Pennsylvania Route 97 (Adams County)

Pennsylvania Route 97 (PA 97), also known as Baltimore Pike, is one of two routes known as Pennsylvania Route 97, the other is in Erie. PA 97 in Adams County is a local road that has its northern terminus at U.S. Route 15 southeast of Gettysburg. Its southern terminus is at the Maryland state line where it continues as Maryland Route 97. From the northern terminus of PA 97, Baltimore Pike runs across the Gettysburg Battlefield between Lake Heritage, Pennsylvania (Heritage Drive) and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Baltimore Street). The former tollroad is the remaining rural unnumbered section of the former U.S. Route 140 (Pennsylvania "Legislative Route 42").[1] The highway's range of addresses is between Evergreen Cemetery (799 Baltimore Pike) at the summit of East Cemetery Hill past the Gettysburg National Military Park southern border (#1364) to the 7-Eleven convenience store (#1975) just south of U.S. Route 15.

Route description

PA 97 begins at the Maryland border in Germany Township, heading north on two-lane undivided Baltimore Pike. The road continues south into Maryland as MD 97. From the state line, the route passes through agricultural areas with some homes, turning northwest and passing near a housing development. PA 97 enters Littlestown and becomes Queen Street, passing several homes and some businesses. In the commercial center of town, the route crosses PA 194. After passing more residential and commercial development, PA 97 crosses back into Germany Township and becomes Baltimore Pike again, passing through farmland along with some homes and woodland. The road crosses the Alloway Creek into Mount Joy Township and passes through the communities of Germantown and Two Taverns. The route continues through increasing areas of rural homes and businesses before widening into a four-lane divided highway as it passes through commercial areas near the Gettysburg Village Outlets. PA 97 reaches its northern terminus at an interchange with the US 15 freeway, with Baltimore Pike continuing toward Gettysburg National Military Park and Gettysburg.^[1][2]

History

The Gettysburg and Petersburg Turnpike (colloq. Baltimore Pike, e.g., in official Battle of Gettysburg and commemorative era park commission reports) was a toll road that ran from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, south-southeastward to Petersburg (now Littlestown) before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the Sproul Roads Act that placed private turnpikes under the commonwealth's control.^[3] The Gettysburg and Petersburg Turnpike Company was chartered on March 7, 1807.^[4] The Baltimore Pike was part of the original Baltimore-to-Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, stage route which crossed the west-east Nichol's Gap Road on the north hill slope where Samuel Gettys established his 1761 tavern. The turnpike's toll gates and houses included one on the south bank of Rock Creek. The 19th century Gettysburg and Petersburg Turnpike bridge over Rock Creek (Monocacy River) (replaced in 1802)^[5] was the location of a toll house and the Evergreen Cemetery gatehouse was built along the pike in 1855. The pike was used as a maneuver route for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg (e.g., "at Musser's farm on July 2, where "the turnpike to Baltimore crosses Rock Creek").[2] The first Union soldier killed in action at the Gettysburg Battlefield (George Washington Sandoe) was shot along the pike's summit on June 28, and the telegraph key for the Gettysburg Railroad Station was moved to Cemetery Hill during the battle to use the telegraph lines along the pike. Artillery bunkers (lunettes) established along the Baltimore Pike were used during the July 2 Battle of East Cemetery Hill, and artillery fire toward the Cemetery Hill portion of the road was on July 1 (from Oak Ridge), July 2 (Benner Hill), and July 3 (Seminary Ridge & Warfield Ridge). Several addresses along the Baltimore Pike were Battle of Gettysburg hospitals, and the post-battle Union military camp to secure the Gettysburg area and to salvage arms/equipment was established along the pike on East Cemetery Hill (also the location of the first of the Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War).

By October 1900 Battle of Gettysburg markers had been placed by the United States Department of War along the Baltimore Pike,[3] which had been modernized by 1943^[6] and resurfaced before 1972.[4] Numerous postbellum battlefield monuments are along the pike, which on January 23, 2004 were designated historic district contributing structures (cf. Baltimore Pike properties and homes in the Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District. In the 20th century after the Good Roads Movement, the route from Gettysburg to the Mason-Dixon Line was designated US 140, but that designation was removed by 1980. The portion south of US 15 was designated PA 97 in 1979.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Adams County.

See also

• Pennsylvania Route 97 (Erie County)

References