Gettysburg Foundation will host a special program Friday, June 28, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital. Join living historian and reenactor Janice Lauer in the historic barn for a program on dressmaking and fashions of the Civil War era. Lauer will feature the most popular period fashions and showcase fashions in both the north and south during the “Civil War Era Dressmaking & Popular Fashions” program. Ticket holders will discover the difficulties people in the south faced as they tried to maintain their fashion sense during this turbulent time in our nation’s history. Guests can learn how the use of sewing machines made the occupation more productive. See original hand-crank sewing machines dating 1858 -1878 and original ladies fashion magazines of the time. Lauer will tell the fascinating story of Elizabeth Keckly, the most famous dressmaker during the Civil War, and discuss her rise from slavery to the White House.
A Civil War reenactor for 26 years, Janice Lauer portrays a dressmaker in her endeavor to educate the public on several facets of life during the Civil War that are not typically found in school textbooks. A member of the 150th PA Bucktails, Jan attends reenactments and living histories traveling throughout Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio, and has lectured in towns throughout Pennsylvania, including Indiana, State College, Titusville and Gettysburg.
The special program lasts approximately 90 minutes and is limited to 40 attendees. Tickets are required and available to purchase in advance by calling the Gettysburg Foundation Guest Relations team at 877-874-2478 or 717-334-2436 or by visiting GettysburgFoundation.org. Proceeds from ticket purchases help to provide a lasting connection to our nation’s next generation while supporting the Gettysburg Foundation’s mission of preservation and education in partnership with the National Parks at Gettysburg.
Ticket holders for this program may drive directly to the property, located at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, Gettysburg, and park on-site. The gate will open at 5:30 p.m., for ticket holders to explore the 80-acre historic site with original buildings from the Battle of Gettysburg, before the program begins at 6 p.m.
ABOUT THE GEORGE SPANGLER FARM & FIELD HOSPITAL
A successful family farm before and after the Battle of Gettysburg, the historic George Spangler Farm served as the Union Army’s 11th Corps field hospital where more than 1,900 wounded soldiers—both Union and Confederate—received care. The site also served as an artillery reserve, ammunition reserve, provost guard and a temporary cemetery for both Union and Confederate soldiers. Located at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the meticulously rehabilitated historic site features restored and renovated, original buildings from the Battle of Gettysburg. Today, the historic site stands as the best-preserved field hospital from the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Foundation owns, operates and maintains the historical integrity of the original buildings and property of this historic site. The historic site is also home to The Kinsley Leadership Center and the Gettysburg Foundation’s headquarters for its Higher Ground Leadership at Gettysburg programming.
ABOUT THE GETTYSBURG FOUNDATION
The Gettysburg Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit philanthropic, educational organization operating in partnership with the National Park Service to preserve Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site and educate the public about their significance. The Foundation operates the Museum & Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park, as well as the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital, the Children of Gettysburg 1863® and Ticket to the Past – Unforgettable Journeys. The Foundation offers customized professional leadership development on the Gettysburg battlefield through its Higher Ground Leadership at Gettysburg programming. For information about visiting Gettysburg or how you can become a Friends of Gettysburg member or make a donation in support of the Gettysburg Foundation’s preservation and education mission in partnership with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, visit GettysburgFoundation.org or call 877-874-2478. Proceeds from tickets and other purchases in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center benefit Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site.
Source: Gettysburg Foundation