Gettysburg Daily

Gettysburg’s Wills House Parlor: The West Wall



The west wall of the David Wills House parlor has three windows and three displays. This is the far left or south display on the wall. The left window contains an image of George Arnold’s store, on the southwest corner of the Diamond, which could have been seen from this window in the 1860s. The middle window on the right in this view looks down Middle Street from Seminary Ridge. This view could not be obtained from the Wills House. It’s too bad they couldn’t find one of the Schick building, or Boyer’s Grocery Store. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.

We continue our tour of the interior of the Wills House parlor by viewing the west wall. The wall has three windows and three displays. The windows are supposed to show what individuals would have seen from this area in the 1860s. Only one of the windows shows the correct image.



Over the next couple of posts we’ll stay on the first floor. Today we’re in the the Wills Parlor, which is labeled “Gallery One, War and the Wills House.” This map is from the Wills House brochure which was scanned while we were facing south at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



The theme of this panel is “Local Hardships.” This is a photograph of the Widow Lydia Lyster’s House (Meade’s Headquarters) along the Taneytown Road. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



Here’s the bottom of the panel. Remember to click on any of our images to make them larger. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



We are pitiful photographers, and this is our best image that shows the whole west wall. At least one can tell that there are three windows on the wall. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



The display under the middle window has four artifacts. We’ll show them from left to right. The first is a First Corps Badge of the United States Army. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



David Wills’ military pass. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



A belt buckle and a hymnbook. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



The right window on the wall displays another scene from west of town, not from the Diamond. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



This panel describes the initial cleanup after the battle. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



The top of the panel. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



The bottom of the panel. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.



On our next Wills House post we will finish up the parlor by showing you items on its south wall. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.

See the following related posts:

Gettysburg’s Wills House: The Other Middle Display on March 19, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: The Misleading, Mislabeled Diorama on March 10, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Wills Parlor North Wall on March 7, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Wills Parlor East Wall on March 2, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Entrance and Ticketing Information Area on February 20, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Another Exterior View on February 18, 2009.
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 18, 1863: 145 Years Ago This Evening on November 18, 2008.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: White Stenciling Completed on West Side on November 5, 2008.
Stenciling, railing, steps, and shutters of the Wills House on October 31, 2008.
Stenciling progressing well on the west side of the Wills House on October 28, 2008.
Completion of the white stenciling on the north side of the Wills House on October 21, 2008.
White stenciling appearing on the north side of the Wills House on October 14, 2008.
Wills House needs a new manager on September 12, 2008.
First coat of red paint completely covering the north side of the Wills House on September 4, 2008.
Red paint beginning to cover the north side of the Wills House on September 3, 2008.
Only the west side of the Wills House still had red paint on August 19, 2008.
West side of the Wills House started to be painted red on August 13, 2008.
Wills House’s sidewalk construction on July 21, 2008.
The Gettysburg Railroad Station on March 6, 2008.