Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola Part 2: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith

This is our view from the west side of the cupola on top of the Lutheran Theological Seminary building, or Schmucker Hall. We took the photographs from southwest (to the west of the Wentz Library) to the north (Sheads Woods/Oak Ridge). For the larger JPEG version click here, or you can download the uncompressed TIFF file (29.8 MB) here. This view was taken facing southwest to north at approximately 9:30 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Today we show you the panoramas from the cupola of the Lutheran Theological Seminary building, or Schmucker Hall. We’ll show you the panoramas, and then the panoramas with labels on some of the landmarks. Then we will show videos of Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith walking around the cupola pointing out some of the landmarks. Unfortunately, we did this early in the morning, and the sun was in our eyes when we looked to the southeast.

The Adams County Historical Society will be presenting tours of the cupola on Saturday April 18, 2009. Click here for more information.

See the following related posts:

Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola Part 1: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith February 12, 2009.
ACHS Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room: LBG Tim Smith February 10, 2009.
Civil War Research Center Now Open in Schmucker Hall on June 20, 2008.
Seminary Ridge Avenue Update on October 24, 2008.
The Leveling of Seminary Ridge Avenue on October 3, 2008.
Seminary Avenue Roadwork on September 16, 2008.

Here is the same panorama looking mostly to the west with labels. For the larger JPEG version click here, or you can download the uncompressed TIFF file (29.8 MB) here. This view was taken facing southwest to north at approximately 9:30 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

In Video #1, Licensed Battlefield Guide and Adams County Historical Society Research Historian, Tim Smith, starts off looking to the southwest and continues moving north until we look to the west. One might notice that the snow in the panorama still shots is not present in the videos. That is because we shot these videos a week after the still shots. This view was taken facing from southwest to west at approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

In Video #2, Tim concentrates on the view that United States Brigadier-General John Buford was most concerned with on July 1, 1863. This view was taken facing from west to northat approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009

Here is the Mathew Brady photograph of which Tim was speaking in Video #2. McPherson’s Woods/Herbst’s Woods/Reynolds’ Woods are on the right. The Seminary cupola is barely visible above the trees in the background. This view was taken facing east circa Wednesday, July 15, 1863.

Here is a view from the cupola facing mostly to the east. The sun is shining off the snow on East Cemetery Hill to the southeast. For the larger JPEG version click here, or you can download the uncompressed TIFF file (23.9 MB) here. This view was taken facing northeast to south at approximately 9:30 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Here is the east facing panorama with some labels. Again it is very difficult to see looking into the sun for details, but one can certainly pick out the highlights. For the larger JPEG version click here, or you can download the uncompressed TIFF file (23.9 MB) here. This view was taken facing northeast to south at approximately 9:30 AM on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

In video #3, Tim explains how open the ground was northeast of the Seminary and north of the College in the 1800s. This view was taken facing northeast to east at approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

In Video #4, Tim concentrates on some of the college buildings, and your editor/photographer did not do a good job focusing on the landmarks about which he was talking. So that’s why we labeled the panoramas to help lessen your confusion. He is showing us landmarks on the Pennsylvania College (Gettysburg College) campus, the center of the Borough of Gettysburg, and Camp Letterman. This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

In Video #5, we are looking southeast towards Wolf’s Hill, Culp’s Hill, and Cemetery Hill. The sun was in our eyes, and the wind was picking up, but we can still hear Tim, and see most of the landmarks that he was pointing out to us. This view was taken facing southeast to south at approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

In Video #6, the wind was pretty rough as we were looking south to Big Round Top and southeast to Cemetery Hill. As Tim explained in the video, during the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, if one was standing in the cupola on the afternoon of July 3, 1863, they could see Pickett’s Charge. This view was taken facing south to southeast to south at approximately 8:30 AM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

In Video #7, Tim ends our tour by explaining how you too can climb into the cupola at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. There are two fund raising events at the Adams County Historical Society each year in which contributors are allowed into the cupola. The Spring Cupola Tour is Saturday, April 18, 2009. For a donation of $100, Adams County Historical Society members are allowed into the cupola. For non-members, a donation of $125 is required. Click here for more information on the Spring Cupola Tour. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:45 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.
Camp Letterman Part 5 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 11, 2009.
Camp Letterman Part 6 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 13, 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.
ACHS Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room with LBG Tim Smith on February 10, 2009.
Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola Part 1: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith February 12, 2009.