General Meade Society of Philadelphia’s Leister House Garden Restoration Project

Originally published August 2017 · pp. 46–47

General Meade Society of Philadelphia’s Leister House Garden Restoration Project GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The Lydia Leister house on the Gettysburg battlefield holds a special significance. Lydia was a widow of 3 years with 6 children (3 older had left home, 2 younger one still at home and one son away in the army) when two armies arrived in the little farming town of 2,400 residents during July 1863. When the battle started many residents packed up and left for a safer place to stay as did Lydia. Little did she know that Union commander, Gen. George Gordon Meade, would use the little whitewashed house as his headquarters and hold a council of war with other Union generals there on July 2, 1863. The battle lasted 3 days and caused 51,000 casualties including wounded, missing and dead. Almost every building was used as a hospital because a substantial number of the 40,000 wounded and dead remained in this little town. The Leister House was a hospital after the battle as well. Gettysburg was devastated. Water was contaminated, crops ruined, livestock confiscated by hungry troops, houses and farms suffered damages. Lydia and her neighbors struggled to restore their town. About 8 years ago the General Meade Society took over restoration of four raised garden beds at the Leister House and planted herbs used for culinary and medicinal purposes, through GNMP’s Adopt-a-position program. An average of 15-17 volunteers goes out in the spring and fall to weed, trim, and plant. As you can imagine, it is difficult to manage a garden with only 2 visits a season, but we do our best to keep up the appearance of a working garden. It is our privilege and pleasure to work this hallowed ground in an effort to restore it as it might have looked in 1863. To learn more about the Meade Society and this rewarding garden restoration project contact GeneralMeadeSociety.org

The Gen. Meade Society of Philadelphia is performing outstanding work in maintaining the area surrounding the Leister House, on the Gettysburg Battlefield. Ralph Vincent Mayor Brown.

Photo of Lydia Leister house, Gen. Meade’s Headquarters at Gettysburg, taken after the battle. (Library of Congress)

Gen. Meade Society took over these raise garden beds about 8 years ago.