Adams County
Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Formed January 22, 1800 out of York County. The name honors President John Adams. Important center of fruit growing industry. County seat of Gettysburg, incorporated 1806, was site in 1863 of key Civil War battle and President Lincoln's great address.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Established in 1800 and named for President John Adams, this county in Pennsylvania's rolling southern hills became known for its orchards and fruit harvests. Its seat, Gettysburg, was a quiet crossroads town until July 1863, when it became the site of the Civil War's bloodiest and most decisive battle. That autumn, President Abraham Lincoln came to dedicate the soldiers' cemetery and delivered the brief, immortal Gettysburg Address.
Why it matters
Few small American counties carry such weight: Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War and the setting for Lincoln's redefinition of the nation's purpose.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- The David Wills House Museumnearby · 8 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, PA
- Gettysburg Museum of History0.1 mi away · 219 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Ticket to the Past - Unforgettable Journeys0.2 mi away · 35 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Shriver House Museum0.2 mi away · 309 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Jennie Wade House Gifts0.4 mi away · 548 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Casteel Sculptures0.5 mi away · 789 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
Attractions
- John Eisenhower Bridge2.9 mi away · Waterworks Road
- Sachs Covered Bridge3.3 mi away
- Sachs Covered Bridge3.3 mi away · Waterworks Road, Gettysburg, PA
Food & drink
- Blue & Gray Bar & Grillnearby · 2 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Ploughman Cider Taproomnearby · 14 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, PA
- Borough BBQnearby · 15 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Upper Crust Pizzanearby · 19 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Beef Jerky Experiencenearby · 1 Chambersburg Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Chinatown Kitchen0.1 mi away · 25 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
Places to stay
- The Inn at Lincoln Squarenearby · 12 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, PA
- The LaVerne Private Guesthouse0.1 mi away · 27 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- The Union Hotel0.1 mi away · 27 Chambersburg Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Gettysburg Hotel0.1 mi away · 1 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, PA
- The Brafferton Inn0.1 mi away · 44 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Tillie Pierce House Inn0.2 mi away · 301 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · John Adams
- · Abraham Lincoln
Related events
- · Battle of Gettysburg
- · Gettysburg Address
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Wills House
Gettysburg, PA · est. 1949
In November 1863, the town of Gettysburg was still reeling from the great battle fought that July when it gathered to dedicate a national cemetery for the Union dead. Abraham Lincoln lodged in the home of attorney David Wills, met Governor Andrew Curtin and other dignitaries, and greeted crowds from the doorway. It was here, on the eve of the ceremony, that the President put the finishing touches on the few short remarks that would become the Gettysburg Address.
Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg, PA · est. 1895
Lee's second invasion of the North ended here in three days of fighting that left over 50,000 casualties. Four months later Lincoln redefined the war's purpose in 272 words.
26th PA Emergency Regt Jennings
Gettysburg, PA
This monument commemorates the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment, which reached Gettysburg on June 25, 1863, ahead of the Army of the Potomac. On the morning of June 26 it marched out the Chambersburg Pike and met the Confederate column at Marsh Creek, only to be overwhelmed and forced to withdraw that afternoon. These green emergency troops were among the first to oppose the Confederate advance into the town.
Lincoln Cemetery
Gettysburg, PA · est. 2003
Founded in 1867 by the Sons of Good Will, Lincoln Cemetery gave Gettysburg's African American citizens and soldiers a dignified resting place they were otherwise denied. Roughly thirty veterans of the United States Colored Troops lie here — men who fought for the Union but were barred by segregation from burial in the town's famous National Cemetery. Later generations of Black veterans from the Spanish-American War through Korea joined them in ground first known as Good Will Cemetery and renamed for Lincoln in 1920.