Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith
February 10, 2009
Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith is also the Research Historian for the Adams County Historical Society located in Schmucker Hall on the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Today Tim shows us the new Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room at the Historical Society. To enter the Historical Society, go up the steps behind Tim, and through the front (west) door. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
The Adams County Historical Society is located in Schmucker Hall, or Old Dorm on the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. This year they have opened a new research room in order to accommodate the many visitors who want more information on the Battle of Gettysburg, and/or the American Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room hosts a wealth of information ranging from the Official Records, military rosters, and civilian accounts. Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide and Adams County Historical Society Research Historian Tim Smith gives us a tour of the new facility. Our three videos for this post are at the end of the post.
After the visitor enters the front door, they approach the entrance desk. A staff member/volunteer will be here to greet you. This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
At the desk you sign the register and state your research topic. You are requested to pay a research fee of $5.00 if you are not a member of the Adams County Historical Society. This view is from the northwest facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
You can then go to the rooms behind the entrance desk to begin your research, or down this hallway to the north where the microfilm machines are located. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
We’re taking the hallway to the south to go to the research room. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
The entrance to the research room is on the left. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
When we enter the Battle of Gettysburg Research Room we see a table and chairs for researchers, and the Official Records and the Official Records Supplement on the far (east) wall. This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
The north wall of the main research room contains the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) series, a roster of Union officers, a listing of Confederate Soldiers, etc… This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
Along the south wall of this front room of the Battle of Gettysburg Research Room are Confederate Veteran Magazine volumes and Gettysburg civilian accounts… This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
… and the majority of these books sold at the Historical Society that were either published by the Society and/or written by their staff. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
Also along a portion of the south wall of the front room is a copier. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
The Battle of Gettysburg Research Room is actually two rooms. Here’s we’re looking southwest into the back room… This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
…and here we’re looking southeast into the back room. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
The features in this room include a map case…This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
… a map table with a frequently utilized Adams County Map from 1858… This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
… and some computer stations. We will show Tim in a video on another one of the computer stations in this room a little later in this post… This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
…and the latest Gettysburg news. Okay, maybe not the latest, but certainly the most interesting. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
We promised that Tim Smith would give you a tour of this room, so please play this video showing the resources available here. This view was taken facing northeast to every other direction at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
Tim gives us a preview of the most outstanding resource available here. The Historical Society digitized some National Park Service files, and added their own civilian accounts to have a very unique searchable database. At the end of the video he mentions a conflicting account to General Reynolds approaching the Seminary. We’ll get into that in our next post from here when we visit the cupola on this building. This view was taken facing west to northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
See our previous posts on Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides:
Gettysburg Guide Room: The Final Days on March 8, 2008.
Lights Out at the Electric Map on April 13, 2008.
New Guide Room at the New Visitor Center on April 19, 2008.
New Association of Licensed Battlefield Guide Office and Library Opens on August 25, 2008.
Evergreen Cemetery Headstone Damage with LBG Deb Novotny on October 20, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 1 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 15, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 2 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 17, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 3 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 4, 2009.
Camp Letterman Part 4 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 9, 2009.
Gettysburg Artillery Part 1 with LBG George Newton on November 21, 2008.
“Mammy’s Little Baby Loves Guided Tours” with LBG Charlie Fennell on November 23, 2008.
Bucktails on McPherson’s Ridge Part 1 with LBG Rich Kohr on November 26, 2008.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam 2008 on December 6, 2008.
Gettysburg Hawk Hunting with Licensed Battlefield Guide Dave Weaver on December 14, 2008.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Bellamy: Colonel Edward Ephraim Cross Part 1 on January 3, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Bellamy: Colonel Edward Ephraim Cross Part 2 on January 5, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: William Wible’s Gettysburg Quarry on January 21, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 1 on January 23, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 2 on January 26, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 3 on January 29, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 4 on February 2, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 5 on February 6, 2009.
