The Gettysburg Foundation will host Fall Family Day at Spangler, a free, one-day event from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital. Offering free admission for the local community and visitors to Gettysburg, Fall Family Day at Spangler provides an educational day for families and those who enjoy history to experience and learn about the history of the 80-acre farm. Presented during the Columbus Day weekend, families can enjoy an autumn day during the last opportunity this year to visit the historic site.
Living historians will be on-site during the event. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with living historians throughout the day from:
- Civil War Historical Impressions: An encampment of living historians will set the scene, offering programming, demonstrations and first-person impressions. Visitors can see and interact with living historians portraying Union and Confederate soldiers, Gettysburg civilians, generals and surgeons. A Confederate field hospital portrays surgeon Hunter McGuire. Guests can walk the grounds of the site, explore the encampments and experience history come alive.
- 46th Pennsylvania Regiment Band (The Logan Guards): Talented musicians and living historians bring to life the typical soldier and musician of the American Civil War. During performances at 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the band will perform authentic Civil War era music entirely on authentic instruments of the period. The musicians and historians honor the original 46th Pennsylvania Regiment Band, comprised of musicians from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. Along with the 46th Pennsylvania Regiment soldiers from central Pennsylvania, these men were among the first responders to Washington, answering President Lincoln’s call for troops at the start of the American Civil War.
Knowledgeable docents will present and explain 19th Century kitchen and household items, as well as culinary arts of the era, in the restored summer kitchen and period garden.
An ensemble of local musicians will gather at the historic site as The General Brass and perform songs and hymns popular on the home front during the Civil War and in support of recovering wounded soldiers after the Battle of Gettysburg. Guests can enjoy performances in the historic barn at 10:30 a.m. and noon.
Historic Gettysburg-Adams County (HGAC) will present information on historic barn preservation. HGAC interprets the design, construction and use of the iconic Pennsylvania Bank Barn. Guests can hear representatives of HGAC discuss the George Spangler Farm’s restoration in the past decade—from a dilapidated structure in danger of collapse to a visage of its original glory—that revived this important, tangible component of American history.
The family-friendly programming and offerings include the opportunity for visitors to hear stories about the civilian role during and after the battle. Learn about the Spangler family. Explore Civil War era medicine and learn about the Letterman System and its use during the battle. See a reproduction Civil War Wheeling (Rosecrans) ambulance. Enjoy a local favorite treat with Mr. G’s Old-fashioned Ice Cream.
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Visitors to the special Fall Family Day at Spangler event may drive directly to the property located at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, Gettysburg, and park on-site.