Gettysburg’s Wills House: Entrance and Ticketing Information Area
February 20, 2009
The interior of the door on the York Street entrance to the Wills House. President Lincoln passed in and out this doorway a few times during his visit of November 18th-19th, 1863. We are in the Entrance Foyer. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The David Wills House, where President Abraham Lincoln stayed the night before giving his Gettysburg Address reopened last week, and today we are starting our tour of the interior of the building. Over 3000 people showed up for free from opening on Thursday afternoon to Monday, President’s Day, of this week. Now how many people will show up to pay $6.50 for each adult? We’ll go through room by room and you can judge if its worth the price. At the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, for $7.50, one can see the museum, the movie, and the Cyclorama. Today we are showing the entrance hall and the “Tickets, Gift Shop and Information” area.
After one has closed the door behind you and looks into the entrance foyer, there is a large transparent divider with an image of the Wills House on it. Behind it one can see the staircase. Don’t use your flash as you go through the house. As we were later told, we could take as many pictures as we wanted as long as we didn’t use a flash. We’ll go to the left. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
On the windowsill as one enters the “Tickets, Gift Shop, and Information” area are the brochures. They also have some on the information desk. We grabbed a handful. They are paper, and not the “slick” paper used for the Gettysburg National Military Park brochure. That’s York Street in the background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
Here’s the front of the David Wills House brochure. If you want to see the entire brochure in PDF form, click here. This brochure was scanned while we were facing south at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
Here’s the back of the David Wills House brochure. If you want to see the entire brochure in PDF form, click here. This brochure was scanned while we were facing south at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
Over the next couple of posts we’ll stay on the first floor. Today we’re in the “Tickets, Gift Shop, and Information” area. This brochure was scanned while we were facing south at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
Here’s the ticketing/information area. This was definitely the last time we used a flash. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
At the entrance desk we paid our $6.50 adult fee. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
This picture of the Wills House from the 1890s is behind the counter near the north wall. This view was taken facing east at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The items for sale are mostly in these bookcases. Note the elevator in the background. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
Here’s another view of the staff and volunteers around the counter. We’re standing on the other side of the room near the entrance to the restrooms, yes restrooms, facing back towards York Street. This view was taken facing northwest. at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The bookcases hold very basic books, booklets… This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
…and other souvenir items. This view was taken facing west at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
We’ll now go through the doorway between the two bookcases into the Entrance Foyer. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
We are now on the other side of the transparent divider in the Entrance Foyer, looking back towards the front (York Street) door, which is on the other side of the divider. The staircase is on the left. This view was taken facing north. at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
We’ll go up the staircase after a couple of more posts. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
On the east wall of the Entrance Foyer is this exhibit showing newspaper notices and advertisements showing Gettysburg before the battle… This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
… and after the battle. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
A closer view of the left (north) side of this exhibit. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
A closer view of the middle of this exhibit. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
A closer view of the right (south) side of this exhibit. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
On our next post we’ll do some of the Wills Parlor, which is listed as “Gallery 1, War and the Wills House” on the first floor map. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
See the following related posts:
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Another Exterior View on February 18, 2009.
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 18, 1863: 145 Years Ago This Evening on November 18, 2008.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: White Stenciling Completed on West Side on November 5, 2008.
Stenciling, railing, steps, and shutters of the Wills House on October 31, 2008.
Stenciling progressing well on the west side of the Wills House on October 28, 2008.
Completion of the white stenciling on the north side of the Wills House on October 21, 2008.
White stenciling appearing on the north side of the Wills House on October 14, 2008.
Wills House needs a new manager on September 12, 2008.
First coat of red paint completely covering the north side of the Wills House on September 4, 2008.
Red paint beginning to cover the north side of the Wills House on September 3, 2008.
Only the west side of the Wills House still had red paint on August 19, 2008.
West side of the Wills House started to be painted red on August 13, 2008.
Wills House’s sidewalk construction on July 21, 2008.
The Gettysburg Railroad Station on March 6, 2008.
