Prince of Peace Episcopal Church will open its Civil War memorials to visitors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. The church is at the corner of Baltimore and High streets in Gettysburg, and both street entrances will be open.
The collection includes more than 150 stones, tablets and plaques donated by Civil War veterans and survivors. One memorial incorporates the temporary grave marker of a Union artilleryman killed on the battle’s second day. Docents will be available, and the church says free parking will be available behind the building, with light refreshments served.
The memorial project began in 1880, when the congregation decided to dedicate a new church to those who served in the Civil War. The church was completed and opened for worship in 1900; the original memorial effort continued into the 1930s.
The Rev. James Strader-Strasser, the parish priest, said the congregation began the memorialization effort while preparing to build a permanent church. The announcement says the collection also grew in 2013, when previously lost memorial donations were rediscovered and new pieces were added.