Gettysburg Daily

Gettysburg National Cemetery Fence and Sickles Witness Fence Update



The “Sickles Fence,” which separates Evergreen Cemetery from the Soldiers’ National Cemetery is being stripped and repainted. The black part of the fence has been painted. The rust-colored “brown” fence has received its primer after being stripped of its old paint. The New York State monument is in the background. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.

The iron fence separating the Gettysburg National Cemetery from Evergreen Cemetery (local civilian cemetery) is in the process of being stripped and repainted. This fence is known as the “Sickles’ Fence” near which Sickles murdered Philip Barton Key (son of Star Spangled Banner composer Francis Scott Key) in 1859 and was acquitted of the murder by temporary insanity.

See our previous posts on the Cemetery Witness Tree and the Sickles Witness Fence:

Gettysburg Cemetery Witness Tree, Sickles Witness Fence Update on May 11, 2009.
Gettysburg Witness Tree Damaged in National Cemetery on August 10, 2008.
Gettysburg Witness Tree Damage Update: Sickles “Witness Fence” Damaged on August 12, 2008.



The Baltimore Street entrance to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. The New York State Monument is in the background. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The National Cemetery Gate was damaged by a car, and has not yet been prepared. The brick building on the right was originally the Cemetery Superintendent’s house. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The posts on either side of the entrance list the names of the states that have Civil War soldiers buried in the cemetery. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



National Park Service volunteer extraordinaire, Barb Adams, repaints the names of the states with gold colored paint. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



We’re going to walk up the sidewalk on the southwest side of Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



This part of the fence was repainted during the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg workday which we showed you on June 7, 2009. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



A view of the Baltimore Street side of the fence looking downhill towards the Baltimore Street entrance. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



At the top of the hill we run into the Sickles Witness Fence which used to surround Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. It is brown or rust colored. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, August 12, 2008.



Evergreen Cemetery property is on the left of the Sickles Fence. Gettysburg National Cemetery (Soldiers’ National Cemetery) property is to the right (west) of the Sickles Fence. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, August 12, 2008.



Some of the fine details between the Sickles (Lafayette Park) Fence… This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



… and the section of the fence along Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



We’re now standing in Evergreen Cemetery where the reddish-brown Sickles Fence that has received primer meets the part of the Sickles Fence that has been stripped, but has not yet received primer. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



A view of the section of the fence that has been stripped. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The stripping is accomplished by power washing the iron. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The gentleman on the ladder is doing the power washing. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.
In Video #1 the gentleman is power washing the paint off the fence. There is a barrier on the other side of the fence to prevent water from spraying visitors in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



Note how they have covered up the headstones in Evergreen Cemetery to protect them from the power washing. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The gentlemen working on the fence say that if they could work straight through, it would take them about three weeks to complete the job. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.
In Video #2 we can see better how the water washes the old paint away. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



There’s still a lot of fence to go. The workers told us that because of stopping for bad weather, and having to stop around the anniversary of the battle, they won’t be finished until July 25, 2009. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



Here’s how the operation looks from the National Cemetery side of the fence. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



When we visited, they had the area closed off from Bancroft’s Battery… This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



…past Taft’s Battery, to the fence along Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.