Visiting Lancaster - Fulton Opera House, Lancaster Cemetery, Wheatland

After visiting and learning about three sites in Lancaster, you would think we are done, but we aren't! There is still more to see and learn during our time in the city. After we visited the Stevens and Smith site, we walked a few blocks to our next stop. On our way, Julia and Nathan showed me one of their favorite places in the city - Central Market. They told me which stands to visit to get the best cookies, vegetables, and chocolate milk. Market wasn't open on the day we visited, so I will have to come back and stay with them again so I can get one of those cookies!



We stopped outside the Fulton Opera House on Prince Street. The Fulton Opera House was built in 1852. It is proud to say it is the oldest continuously operating theaters and a National Historic Landmark. During the Civil War militias drilled here, and it is said that Union officers planned here. All the talk of cookies made the children hungry, so we stopped in a local coffee shop for hot chocolate and treats. It gave us a chance to talk some more before we ventured to the Lancaster Cemetery.

Once we had a treat, we got in the car and drove across town to the Lancaster Cemetery. We found the Reynolds family plot very easily. Here we found General Reynolds' large gravestone.
General Reynolds was a Union Major General. He was considered to be one of the top Union Generals of the war. General Reynolds was in charge of the left wing of the army on the approach to Gettysburg. He was shot in the neck on July 1 during the battle of Gettysburg. He was the first and highest ranking officer to be killed in the battle.
We spent a lot of time at the cemetery reading the stones and markers. It was amazing how much detail was carved into the four sides of General Reynolds' stone. We were happy to see the flags that were left at this veteran's grave. Right next to General Reynold's grave we saw his brother's grave stone. It had an anchor on the top because William Reynolds was a Civil War Union Naval Officer. During the Civil War he served on the USS New Hampshire in the Navy blockades in the south.

Next we drove out of the city and stopped at Wheatland. Wheatland was the home of President James Buchanan, who was the president right before Abraham Lincoln. He was the only President who never married, and he was the only President from Pennsylvania. His Presidency was marked by a nation that was becoming divided. While we were at Wheatland, I got my first PA Civil War Trails stamp. I hope to visit some more sites highlighted in my Civil War Trails passport!

I had a great visit to Lancaster. Julia and Nathan loved to read with me, talk with me, and learn with me. I had many hugs and kisses from them. I hope to come back and visit some other historic sites soon!

Visiting Lancaster - Reynolds Birthplace, Square, and Convention Center

Once we were in the city and parked the car, we walked onto King Street and found the Reynolds House marker. This marker is outside a building on the right hand side of the street. This is where General Reynolds was born and lived for much of his life. Although the location has been modernized and is now a gallery on the first floor, we were very excited to be at this location and to think about what happened here so many years ago. Julia and Nathan read the marker and talked about what the city may have looked like at the time of General Reynolds' birth. They were pretty sure that there wouldn't have been any construction equipment around!







Next we walked up the hill to Lancaster Square. There we found the Soldiers and Sailors monument. This monument was built in 1874 to honor the brave citizens who lost their lives to save the Union during the civil war. As we walked around this monument we found many inscriptions. We even found a plaque with Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address printed on it. You can see more pictures of this monument on my Flickr page.








After we read the many inscriptions on the monument, we crossed the street and entered the new Lancaster Convention Center. After you travel through the HUGE and beautiful lobby and down a long hall and a set of stairs, you arrive at a glassed-in archaeological site. They are excavating a cistern that was at the rear of the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Smith properties. Historians believe this cistern was used to hide escaped slaves as part of the underground railroad. The historic preservation trust is turning the Stevens and Smith properties in to an interpretive museum. I want to come back and visit when it is complete!

Visiting Lancaster, PA with the Leisure Family

I was welcomed with open arms by the Leisure children when I arrived in Lancaster, PA. We began my visit by looking at the many items that travel with me. I received lots of hugs and compliments! We read the story books, looked at the pamphlets, and decided where we would go on our trip in to Lancaster city. They told me that there was a lot for us to see in Lancaster city. When I think of the civil war, I don't usually think about Lancaster! The places we decided to visit were:

• John Fulton Reynolds historic marker outside his birthplace
• Lancaster Square Soldiers and Sailors monument
• Lancaster Convention Center - Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Smith Historic Site
• Fulton Opera House historic marker
• Lancaster Cemetary - John Fulton Reynolds Gravesite
• Wheatland - home of President James Buchanan
  

We gathered up everything we needed and headed into the city. Julia and Nathan were really excited to share the fun with me.

John F. Reynolds

Yesterday I visited a statue of General John Reynolds outside of Philadelphia's city hall.

General Reynolds was from Lancaster County Pennsylvania, located to the west of Philadelphia, and was killed on July 1st, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg. He is regarded as a hero throughout Pennsylvania.