Samuel Weaver supervised the exhumation of Union soldiers from the battlefield and surrounding communities so that they could be reburied in Gettysburg’s National Cemetery. Here he is in Hanover, Pennsylvania, supervising the removal of bodies from the cemetery at the Trinity Reformed Church near York Street. Samuel Weaver is the shorter person on the far right with the long beard and notebook in his hand. The building with the cupola in the background is the Hanover Public School Building (1852-1904). This view was taken by Peter Weaver facing northwest on Saturday, February 6, 1864.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is a retired American History Teacher from Gettysburg High School. She has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1975 and serves on the board of the Evergreen Cemetery Association. She is the host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg’s civilian cemetery.
To contact Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny, please click here to reveal her email address.
See the previous parts to the Evergreen Cemetery tour here
In today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny describes some highlights of the life of Samuel Weaver, one of Gettysburg’s first photographers, and the person who supervised the reburial of soldiers who died during or soon after the Gettysburg Campaign.
This map shows the location of where our Evergreen Cemetery videos were produced. Videos #1-#50 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts. Videos #51 was taken at the site of the Samuel Weaver House and Skylight Gallery on Middle Street. Video #52 was taken at the site of the Temperance House on Chambersburg Street. Video #53 was taken at the grave of Samuel Weaver in Evergreen Cemetery. This map was created facing north at approximately 7:30 PM on Friday, September 23, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing at the site of the Samuel Weaver home and Sky Light Ambrotype Gallery. The original building is no longer standing. The original house was constructed circa 1832. Weaver operated his gallery at this location from approximately 1857-1860. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #51 (Videos #1-#50 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is at the site of the Samuel Weaver House on West Middle Street. She explains how long Samuel Weaver operated a gallery here and how his son, Peter, moved the gallery to Hanover, Pennsylvania. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the steps of the Christ Lutheran Church on Chambersburg Street. The building in the background with the red awnings is the James Gettys Hotel. At the time of the battle, it was known as the Temperance House. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #52 Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the steps of the Christ Lutheran Church, located on Chambersburg Street. She explains that Samuel Weaver had his first photographic gallery at the Temperance House from 1852-1857. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Deb Novotny is standing by the grave of Samuel Weaver is Evergreen Cemetery. This view was taken facing south at approximately 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #53 Deb Novotny is standing in Evergreen Cemetery at the grave of Samuel Weaver. She explains his role in the reburial operations following the Battle of Gettysburg, and the painful way in which he died. Of course she meant to say “October, 1863” not “October, 1864.” This view was taken facing south at approximately 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
If you can find it for a decent price, the best book on Evergreen Cemetery is by the current Superintendent of the Cemetery, Brian Kennell. It is titled Beyond the Gatehouse: Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery. For ordering information from Amazon (again probably not the best price), click here.
To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.