Explore the historic Daniel Lady Farm in Gettysburg with a new, free public walking trail
Harrison Jones
Hanover Evening Sun
A new walking trail is giving the public a fresh, and free, look at a historic Gettysburg site.
The trail, which opens on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, provides free access for visitors to explore the historic Daniel Lady Farm, located at 1008 Hanover Road in Straban Township, according to a release from the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association that owns the farm.
Public hours will be dawn to dusk, and parking is available in a grass lot to the left of the main entrance.
Featuring 14 self-guided stops, the quarter-of-a-mile trail provides numerous markers with additional information on the history of the farm, from its founding to its involvement as a field hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Free brochures will be available outside the front office for those participating in self-guided tours on the trail, and will feature additional information about each marker as well as a map of the trail.
The trail can be expected to be completed in around 30 minutes, according to the release.
The association credited farm facilities manager Chris jones and museum curator Lauren Wilmoth with the creation of the tour, who it said worked to compile facts and sift through information to produce a compelling history of the farm.
"The story of the Lady family's involvement in the Battle of Gettysburg is a harrowing tale of survival, acceptance, and perseverance," said Wilmoth in the release.
In 1863, the farm was used as the headquarters of Major General Edward Johnston, as well as a staging area for the confederate attack on Culp's Hill. During the Battle of Gettysburg, the site served as a field hospital for the countless wounded from the battle.
The farm has been owned and operated by the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association since 1999, which has sought to restore and preserve the historic property.