Round Top Park

Round Top Park was a Gettysburg Battlefield excursion park of 15 acres (6.1 ha)[3] east of Little Round Top[4] near the end of the Round Top Branch and owned by the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad (cf. Pine Grove Park). In addition to amusements, the park provided services during the memorial association era for steamtrain and trolley tourists visiting nearby military sites of the Battle of Gettysburg.

History

The "dummy" Baldwin steam engine[5] had begun pulling excursions to the "hill" in June 1884 (Ephram H. Minnigh was the park manager)[6] and on July 4, Colonel John H. McClellan held a free ox roast at the park's "great Railroad pic-nic" for donations to benefit the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.[5] The park had a large covered pavilion on June 17, 1884;[4] a "large dining pavilion" completed on July 29, 1884; a "dance house"[7] (dancing pavilion) by August 12, 1884;[8] and a cook house.[9] Amusements at Round Top Park included target shooting, and its "Merry-Go-Round" was offered for sale in 1894. In 1886, the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association purchased "the grove in and around Round Top" and after the 1889 Pennsylvania Reserves reunion in the pavilion, the GBMA removed the buildings in 1896.[9] On July 4, 1900, the former Round Top Park was used by the Tacony Rifles'.[10] The nearby Cunningham Grove was acquired by a United States Department of War lawsuit, Round Top Park was voluntarily transferred to the War Dept from the GBMA, and in the late 20th century the nearby Hudson Grove and Rosensteel Park were acquired by the National Park Service.

References

  1. ↑ Krauth, Jno M, et al (GBMA secretaries) (January 5, 1892). "Executive Committee Minutes of the Gettysburg Battlefield Association" (transcription by Kathleen R. Georg). Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Retrieved 2011-07-05. Resolved, That the chairman of the Board be requested to confer with Gen. S. W. Crawford, as to the conveyance of his property, in front of Little Round Top, commonly known as Crawford's Glen, to the Battlefield Memorial Association. … May 13, 1884…On motion, permission was granted Henry Reister to occupy the shanty at the base of Little Round Top, for the sale of refreshments, provided, that no intoxicating liquors should be sold.
  2. ↑ "Hoffer Sells Out" (Google News Archive). The Star and Sentinel. January 22, 1895. Retrieved 2011-02-24. Agreements with William Wible for the use of the Wheat-field Park, containing 25 acres, at the rate of $5 per day for each excursion to said park by the said Railway Company. Lease from year to year from the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad Company of “Little Round Top Park” at a rent of $25 a year.
  3. ↑ "The New Railroad: Its Pictures, Round-Top Branch, &c." (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler. April 29, 1884. Retrieved 2011-05-11. Lewis A. Bushman has contracted with Joseph J. Smith for the erection of a warehouse and dwelling at the terminus of the branch, on the Taneytown road. The railroad company has purchased a tract of 15 acres from Mr. Bushman between the Taneytown road and Little Round-Top for excursion purposes.
  4. 1 2 "Local Items" (Google News Archives). The Star and Sentinel. June 17, 1884. Retrieved 2011-07-04. The Round Top extension of the new railroad was completed last week, ready for excursion tours. The work of blocking up and ballasting is in progress. A large covered pavilion has been erected in the grove east of Round Top. Burgess Tipton, with an eye to business, has put up a photographic gallery on the grounds.
  5. 1 2 "Local Flashes, Ox Roast on the Fourth, & Excursions" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler. June 24, 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-02-25. D. S. Fuhrman…on the Gilbert property…will sell tickets covering fifteen baths for one dollar.
  6. ↑ "Round-Top Park Now Open" (Google News archive). Gettysburg Compiler. June 29, 1886. Retrieved 2011-10-11. Round-trip trains are run from Gettysburg morning and evening.
  7. ↑ "The Electric Line on the Battlefield" (Google News Archive). The Star and Sentinel. June 20, 1893. Retrieved 2011-02-25. …to the dance house… The trolley people propose to build a station just where Hancock was wounded.
  8. ↑ "Little Round Top Park" (Google News Archive). Sunday Herald. Baltimore, Maryland. August 12, 1884. Retrieved 2011-02-23. The Park is fitted up with Dancing Pavilion, Dining Room, &c., &c. Dinner 50 cents. Lunch 25 cents. … Returning, leave Little Round Top Park at 4.45 P.M., arriving in Baltimore 7.55 P. M.
  9. 1 2 "Town and Country" (Google News Archive). New Oxford Item. November 13, 1896. Retrieved 2011-07-04. The dancing pavilion, cook house and all other buildings have been removed from Round Top park by the Battlefield commission.
  10. ↑ "Camping at Little Round Top". July 4, 1900. Retrieved 2011-07-05. The Tacony Rifles … arrived last Saturday evening and went into camp on the eastern side of Little Round Top, in what was formerly Round Top Park. … The boys have named their camp “Camp Costello.” (1900 Gettysburg Compiler article, 2000 "Out of the Past")
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