Lee’s HQ Restoration Is Under Way

By Leon Reed · Originally published March 2016 · p. 9

The Civil War Trust recently started work at its Lee’s Headquarters property in Gettysburg. Demolition of the motel, at left, will begin after asbestos is removed. The Mary Thompson headquarters house, at right, will be renovated.

(Leon Reed)

Lee’s HQ Restoration Is Under Way By Leon Reed GETTYSBURG, Pa. — With the last approvals in hand, the Civil War Trust on Jan. 13 began preparations for restoring the Lee’s Headquarters property it bought in January 2015. On July 1, 1863, heavy fighting took place there around the Mary Thompson House where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee made his headquarters. The Trust’s $5.5 million purchase of the 4.1-acre tract on Buford Avenue included the house and barn and the 1950s Quality Inn and Appalachian Brewing Company, both of which closed at the end of 2014. The first step to restore the site is asbestos removal at the motel building, which a Trust spokesperson said should take 30-45 days. Gettysburg’s Historic Architectural Review Board had delayed a permit for the demolitions until it received information about the condition and value of the modern buildings and their potential reuse. Demolition of the non-historic buildings is expected to take three to four months. The Thompson House, which was operated as General Lee’s Headquarters Museum from 1921 to 2015, will be renovated at the same time. That should take two months. The Trust plans to restore the property to its 1863 appearance by removing paving, utility lines and non-native trees and installing period fencing. It will develop a network of walking trails and interpretation through the property. Eventually the Trust hopes to deed the property to Gettysburg National Military Park. That will require Congressional action since it is not included within park boundaries. In the meantime, a partnership of the Trust and the Gettysburg Foundation will manage the property.