Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower begins our tour at the John Rupp House on Baltimore Street. She introduces herself and gives us an idea of how close the battlelines were on after the Union troops retreated to Cemetery Hill, and the Confederates occupied this southern part of town. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
While Licensed Battlefield Guides give tours mostly of the battlefield and the town, Licensed Town Guides exclusively give historic tours of the town. They work out of the Wills House and the Gettysburg Hotel on the Diamond/Square/Circle. Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower will give us a tour the southern (Baltimore Street) section of the town caught between skirmishers of both armies.
This map shows the locations of the videos in this post. Video #s 1, 8-10 were taken in the vicinity of the Rupp House. Video #s 2, 5-6 were taken on the south side of Lefever Street. Video #3 was taken on the west side of the Winebrenner House. Video #4 was taken on the south side of the Sweney (Farnsworth) House. Video #7 was taken in Gettysburg Alumni Park. This map was created facing north at approximately 10:00 PM on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
In Video #1, Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower introduces herself and gives us an idea of how close the battlelines were on after the Union troops retreated to Cemetery Hill, and the Confederates occupied this southern part of town around Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing southeast to northeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Lisa first tells us of incidents at the Harvey Sweney House, now known as the Farnsworth House. The Sweney House is the two-story brick structure behind Lisa. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #2, Lisa gives us some background of the Sweney family, not all of whom were living here at the time of the battle. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Harvey Sweney was in his house during the Battle of Gettysburg, and took care of wounded Union soldiers there. Confederate sharpshooters also occupied the Sweney home. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #3 Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower explains how the Union soldiers retreated through the town on the afternoon of July 1, 1863, and how far the Rupp Tannery/John Rupp House (occupied by Union skirmishers) is from the Sweney House (occupied by Confederate skirmishers/sharpshooters). This view was taken facing northwest to southwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Lisa points out some of the bullet holes (white pock marks) on the south wall of the Sweney House. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #4, Lisa points the bullet holes (white pock marks) on the Sweney House. It is believed that the bullet holes were caused by Union troops firing at Confederates in the Sweney House. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower is standing in front of (south of) the John Winebrenner House. Lefever Street runs right to left (east to west) to end at Baltimore Street to the left. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #5, Lisa explains how Confederates occupying the Winebrenner House shared the food they were stealing from the Winebrenners, with the Winebrenners. This view was taken facing north at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
John Winebrenner was born circa 1816 in Pennsylvania. The 1860 census shows that he was “white,” a Tanner, and that he lived in the same dwelling and was part of the same family with Hannah Winebrenner (1817-), born in Maryland; Emma F. Winebrenner (1845-), born in Pennsylvania; Mary E. Winebrenner (1847-), born in Pennsylvania; Dora H. Winebrenner (1852-), born in Pennsylvania; James W. Clark (1845-), born in Pennsylvania; Anna Fitzsimmons (1820-), born in England. His real estate had a value of $4600, and his personal estate had a value of $1200. This photograph of John Winebrenner was provided by Lisa Shower.
In Video #6, Gettysburg LTG Lisa Shower explains that the architectural style of the Winebrenner House was repeated on at least three other houses in the neighborhood. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
This view was taken by the Tyson Brothers on November 19, 1863 as a test before the parade to the Soldiers National Cemetery dedication made its appearance. The houses featured in this post are in this picture. On the left (west) side of the Baltimore Street, in the foreground is the Rupp House. Behind the Rupp House, on the same side of Baltimore Street is the Sweney House. On the right (east) side of the Baltimore Pike are from front to back: Welty House, McCreary House, and Winebrenner House. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:30 AM on Thursday, November 19, 1863.
In Video #7, Lisa Shower is standing on what in 1863 was the property of Samuel McCreary. The McCreary House would be to the left (west). Because the McCreary House is no longer standing, Lisa uses the Winebrenner House as a prop to explain how a Louisiana Confederate (William H. Poole) was killed in the McCreary House. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
The Samuel McCreary House taken from Baltimore Street. Lefever Street (known at the time as Winebrenner Alley) is running from right to left. The fence has bullet holes in it. This view was taken facing southeast sometime in the morning circa 1890. This photograph was taken by William H. Tipton and is in the files of Gettysburg National Military Park.
Lisa has now moved south (towards Cemetery Hill) of the site of the McCreary House to the Solomon Welty House. The Welty House is located on the southeast corner of Locust Street (right to left) and Baltimore Street. Like the McCreary House, it was originally one of the architectural “twins” of the Winebrenner House. It has obviously been renovated. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #8, Lisa shows us the relationship of the Welty House to the Rupp House, and what buildings were not standing on the east side of Baltimore Street at the time of the battle. This view was taken facing southeast to east to southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Although much of the original structure remains, the John Rupp House was significantly renovated in 1868. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #9, Lisa explains how the Rupp family was in either the Welty or the Rupp houses at the time of the battle. John Rupp was in the house alone the evening of July 2, 1863 and all day on July 3, 1863. This view was taken facing southeast to a couple of other directions at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
In Video #10, Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide Lisa Shower explains how where the orginal sections of the Rupp House were and where the additions are located. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 10, 2009.
Lisa provided us with a Rupp Family fact sheet (compiled by Ben Neely and John Zaremba) and the letter that John Rupp wrote to his sister describing the fighting that occurred in and around his house. To download the 6 page PDF, click here. This PDF file was created at approximately 9:15 PM on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
See the following related posts:
Gettysburg’s Sweney House (Farnsworth House) Battle Damage on February 5, 2009.
Gettysburg’s John Winebrenner House Battle Damage on February 3, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Henry Garlach House Battle Damage on January 24, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Methodist Parsonage Cannonball on January 22, 2009.
Another Baltimore Street Witness Tree on January 14, 2009.
Sweney House (Farnsworth House) Christmas Decorations on December 24, 2008.
Abraham Lincoln Witness Tree on November 19, 2009.