History Commons^™

George Croll Baum: Building A Greater Gettysburg, Abraham M. Apfel

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

On November 16th, 1926 George Croll Baum died. In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania the local newspaper covered his death. The Gettysburgian, the paper for Gettysburg College reported that Henry W.A. Hanson, the college president, was “deeply distressed and further noted that Baum's death 'touched the hearts of all that knew him with deep regret.'" Within a month Dr. Hanson had already ordered three memorial plaques to be placed on the campus. Baum's family tried to help pay for them. Hanson refused the money. In a correspondence with Baum‟s brother about the plaques, Hanson told him, “What I did for your brother …

The Old Tin Cup, Nicholas T. Scerbo

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

The world of college football, always colorful and exciting, is perhaps at its best on chilly October Saturdays, with the stands packed for Homecoming. There is a grand parade, a Homecoming Queen, an exciting game between gridiron rivals prompting the large crowd to roar with delight as the hometown heroes march dramatically down the field to victory, or perhaps dig in to preserve the lead with time running out and their backs to their own goal. Perhaps a coveted trophy will be awarded to the winning team. Ceremonies will follow the game: a trophy presentation at midfield, in full view …

Original Pennsylvania College Building, Robert S. Kellert

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

At the corner of Washington and High Streets in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania stands a modest old house—an anachronism that somehow seems so fitting in a town of such rich history. In the foreground lies a fairly inconspicuous plaque with condensed text—easy to miss on a leisurely car ride past the antiquated structure. Casually passing by, residents and tourists alike might not give the house a second thought or reflect on its origins. Yet, were they to merely glance over the building‘s historic plaque, they would discover a building whose significance can hardly be overstated. This was the site of the original …

Glatfelter Hall: A Colorful History, Kaitlyn Roman

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

"I had facilities paint over the ugly pink leafy border that went all around my office." With that statement it seemed as though my lead had hit a dead end. But what Professor Ben Bruce, the current head of the Management department, had just told me was just the beginning of a puzzle waiting to be pieced together. Professor Dan DeNicola of the Philosophy department had shared with me a story describing a stenciled artwork located on the fourth floor of Glatfelter Hall with roots stemming in a secret literary society. Immediately this story captivated my interest and that afternoon …

Breidenbaugh To Zinn: The Evolution Of Chemistry At Gettysburg College, Rachel F. Surmick

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

For students at Gettysburg College, there are many departments from which one can chose to make their major course of study. Included among these courses of study is the chemistry department. Though the chemistry department might seem like a stagnant, fixed part of the Gettysburg curriculum, it has not always been that way. For about the past 125 years, the chemistry department has seen a world of change from the time that it finally separated from the physical sciences and became its own department to the changing of omnipresent faculty, the chemistry department has evolved over time to become what …

"Under God": The Story Of Gettysburg In India, Daniel J. Willever

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

At Gettysburg College, any student who strolls through Pennsylvania Hall, Musselman Library, and the College Union Building cannot help but notice the colorful retro-style posters highlighting the accomplished alumni of this historical institution. Some students dream and joke of being included among these men and women, a television star, a children’s author, and a Civil Rights activist among them. Sadly, for every pop culture icon and Nobel Prize winner, there are those who go unnoticed. Pictures of founders and theologians such as Samuel Simon Schmucker and Henry Baugher remain, but there could not be more of a general disinterest in …

Discovering History: The History Of The Ice House Complex, Elizabeth D. Amrhein

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

A gift to Gettysburg College in 1990 from George W. Olinger and Mae E. Olinger, life long residents of Gettysburg, zestful supporters of local history, common sense preservationists and quiet humanitarians. Their gift of these historic buildings and land underscores the Olingers' lasting love for the town of Gettysburg and the College.

Between 1786 and 1990, this area housed a Presbyterian Church and a cemetery, a livery, shirt factory, carriage making complex, blacksmith shop, a wood-works plant, a cutlery, a bottlery, two brewing companies, an ice cream factory, an ice and cold storage facility, a roofing business, personal residences and …

Preserving The Memory: An Examination Of The Masters Fountain Plaque, Donated By J. William Warehime, Victoria A. Shepard

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

It is crucial not to underestimate your surroundings, for every place embraces a story. My story unfolds two years ago during a perfect day in late summer of 2007, a day to witness the beauty of Gettysburg College at its prime. Merely a skittish freshman, I remember walking hurriedly to my first Astronomy class in Masters Hall while simultaneously attempting to soak in the pristine condition of the surrounding brick buildings and picturesque landscape. I could not help but feel intimidated by the upperclassmen, already accustomed to the Gettysburg lifestyle. Quickening my pace, I finally reached Masters Hall and paused …

Ivy And The Class Of 1933, Elizabeth M. Ungemach

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

Plaques are curious items. According to MSN Encarta, a plaque is “a small flat piece of metal, stone, or other hard material that has an inscription or decoration on it and is fixed to a wall or other surface, often to commemorate somebody or something.” They can be found in a variety of places, celebrate a number of events, and vary in complexity from a single sentence to lengthy paragraphs. Many go unnoticed, but if one looks hard enough, they appear fairly frequently. This oddity is especially true at Gettysburg, where plaques on campus celebrate events and people on buildings, …

“Passages” Mural On College Union Building, Elizabeth A. Ryan

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

The mural “Passages” in the back of the Ballroom in the College Union Building may seem to be another painting on the wall to add to the décor of the room, but it can be found to be a case of “history in plain sight.” The mural depicts the history of Gettysburg College through the art work of Ellen Elmes on four separate panels. But the mural is more than a visual reminder of Gettysburg College’s past. It was donated by Luther Ritter, Class of 1933, and as such is a reminder of all the great Alumni who have passed …

Distinguished Gallantry In Action, Ashley N. Towle

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

Among the many paintings of Abraham Lincoln hanging in the Civil War Institute, there is one face that may not be as familiar. Peering out from a small wooden frame in the main office sits Philip Goettel, a Civil War soldier. His posture is relaxed as he sits in a chair proudly displaying his Union uniform. A caption with the mere word “Father” appears below him, along with a significant date: 1863. Truly, the year 1863 would be a pivotal year in Philip Goettel’s life. He would be wounded, scale a mountain under fire, and earn a Medal of Honor. …

Gargoyles On Glatfelter Hall, Katherine D. Anthony

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

When one walks around the campus of Gettysburg College, Glatfelter Hall towers above them, as one of the College’s most commanding edifices. One takes notice of the arched doorways, sunken windows, and the giant bell tower whose occupant chimes on the hour. What one may not notice are the eyes watching from the brownstone; faces and creatures at home in the stone, surveying your every move. Grotesques and gargoyles sit in the moldings, on the window sills and at the junction where roof and wall meet, hidden from the eye that does not have the compulsion to look. These architectural …

Silent Doorway To The Past: “Vigil” Painting In Weidensall Hall, Elizabeth A. Appenzeller

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

Every object has a story waiting to be told. There is one such artifact that hangs boldly on the mantle of the fireplace in Weidensall Hall its presence large and demanding. The plaque reads “‘The Vigil’ Presented in honor of Mrs. H.W.A. Hanson by the Altoona League.” The artist’s signature is absent from the painting. The painting acts as a window into the history of Gettysburg College. One cannot understand the history of “The Vigil” without knowing the story of the Woman’s League of Gettysburg College, or of Robert Weidensall and the Young Men’s Christian Association. “The Vigil” that hangs …

Gettysburg College Fountain, Amanda M. Spillman

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

When visiting Gettysburg most people are surprised to find a college nestled amongst the acres of battlefields and quaint tourist town. The few that find their way to the campus are taken back by its unique array of architecture, beautifully manicured lawns, and a fountain right in the middle of all of it. Prospective students often have the same reaction. On paper Gettysburg College seems like any other school, but usually once a student visits, they fall in love with the with the campus, charming in every shade of green in spring, and ablaze with vibrant oranges and reds in …

Portrait Of Thaddeus Stevens By Jacob Eichholtz, Axel T. Kaegler

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

When we were approached to do a paper on the hidden history of an object in Gettysburg College, a colleague and I decided to take a weekend afternoon to walk around the campus in order to find an object to write about. After wandering for a while, we entered Penn Hall, and in the Lyceum we looked at the portraits of great contributors to Gettysburg College. One face that struck me was that of Thaddeus Stevens, who I remembered as one of the great Radical Republicans of the Civil War era. Gettysburg is very much a Civil War oriented area. …

The Remnants Of A Shard Of Hope Tainted By The Shadow Of Evil, Sergio J.A. Ragno

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

A symbol is unique as a form of communication in that it holds no meaning standing alone, but rather gains meaning by people. As such a symbol can sometimes lead one astray for its meaning is liquid. A symbol that once represented something beautiful can be used by a sinister group, and through that become an icon of evil. Such a symbol can be found here at Gettysburg College: the Swastika. I found this symbol decorating the floor tiles of the second floor entrance to Breidenbaugh Hall. What the symbol represents may not be as ambiguous as it may seem, …

Eisenhower Statue, Jamie L. Kessler

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

Every day thousands of students walk across the Gettysburg College campus. They are distracted by thinking about class, or homework, or the latest happenings in their social lives. Whether or not they think about it daily the students are aware of the historical place in which they are present, the battlefields which surround the campus and the Civil War re-enactors who are reminders of the historical significance of this area. But what is much less obvious to the students is that on their walks to and from classes and to meals or to check their mail they pass what is …

Ronald Warner: The Unknown Superstar, Eric J. Schroeder

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

Gettysburg is a place with plenty of history. Everyone knows about the battle of Gettysburg in the civil war and that it took place on this campus. Everyone knows that President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address just minutes from the Gettysburg College campus. This area is rich in history that Americans know. When Gettysburg College opened in 1832, it too began to makes its own history space. New buildings erected, some buildings knocked down, new memorials, and everything on this campus has a certain history. [excerpt]

Course Information:

• Course Title: HIST 300: Historical Method
• Academic Term: …

George C. Baum – His Life, His Work, And His Relationship With Gettysburg College, Daniel C. Scotto

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

There is a tablet in Gettysburg College’s Plank Gym, partially obscured by trash bags and stacks of materials and boxes, that reads, “THIS TABLET IS PLACED IN AFFECTIONATE MEMORY OF GEORGE CROLL BAUM, A.M., B.A., THE ARCHITECT OF THIS BUILDING, BY A GRATEFUL ALMA MATER.” These commemorative tablets are not rare at Gettysburg. In the same room as Baum’s tablet is one for Eddie Plank, the famed deadball-era hurler for the Philadelphia Athletics and member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Across the campus, there are tablets commemorating graduating classes, historic moments, and historic people. One could ask …

An Astronomical Account: A History Of Hatter Planetarium From 1966-2006, Jonathan D. Neu

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

When most individuals stare up at the vast dome of Hatter Planetarium, they often gaze upon the projected stars appearing on its surface, listening to an astronomical story told by one of its operators. However, there is a second story told by the planetarium itself. This story is the history of Hatter Planetarium, which spans five decades and includes the events in the lives of several individuals who have played a critical role in its existence at Gettysburg College. Its history has encompassed several phases of Gettysburg College traditions but is in danger of passing permanently and fixedly into the …

Rocks In Gettysburg College History, Harold J. Stevens

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

The glittering stones fill the cases in the lower lobby of the science center. Each one is has a tag saying where it was collected and what kind of rock formation it is. The cases themselves add to the feeling of being in a museum. Each rock is in pristine order and in good condition, very professional. While it is still not the most noticed of all collections on campus (located as it is on the bottom floor of the Science Center), it is still more obvious than it was just a few years ago. The rock collection is actually …

Musselman Display Case, Kara J. Sharkey

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

The Gettysburg College campus without the influence of the Musselman family would be a very different place. The Musselman name is not one that can be easily overlooked on campus, as numerous buildings are named after the famous apple processing family located in Biglerville, Pa. Yet without the generosity of the Musselman and the Emma G. Musselman foundation, the college would not only be lacking Musselman Stadium, Musselman Hall, and Musselman Library, but also the Bream Wright Hauser Field House, and thousands of dollars in scholarships awarded to students over the past several years. The Musselmans have undoubtedly left a …

The Life And Impact Of Daniel Alexander Payne, Brian A. Vazzano

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

On Washington Street, across from McKnight Hall and adjacent to the Intercultural Resource Center, a sign stands in commemoration of the life and accomplishments of an African American who studied at the seminary from 1835 to 1837. The plaque reads: Daniel Alexander Payne (1811-1893). Born a free African American. He taught the colored people at this college, 1837, while a student at the Lutheran Seminary. A historian, he was elected bishop of the AME Church, 1852, and was president of Wilberforce University, 1863-76. What Payne was able to achieve in his life is matched by few of his contemporaries …

The Battery K, 1st Ohio Light Artillery Monument, David A. Naples

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

At the corner of Carlisle and Lincoln Streets there is an original 12-pounder Napoleon that stands guard over a granite monument. The monument is just one of the monuments to numerous artillery batteries that fought at the battle of Gettysburg. So what makes this monument so unique that warrants a paper written on it? According to the monument this battery, “engaged the enemy with great gallantry.” Thus their deeds at Gettysburg should not go unnoticed. Also the monument lies on the campus of Gettysburg College, and many college students are unaware of the events that went on upon this campus …