This house on the southeast corner of Washington and High Street, was built as the Gettysburg Academy in 1814. It went onto to be the home of several other schools, before the Civil War came to its door steps.
The Gettysburg Academy opened in 1814, under headmaster Samuel Ramsay. There were 3 dorms, a library and a gymnasium [at this time gymnasium referred to a preparatory school]. Samuel Schmucker turned the building and the school into the Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1826. When the first Seminary building was completed, the school then became the Pennsylvania College [now Gettysburg College].
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| William Eyster |
In 1856 the Reverend David and Mrs Rebecca Reynolds Eyster bought the building. They opened the Gettysburg Female Institute. When the Reverend died in 1861, his wife continued to run the school with one of their sons William Reynolds Eyster; a new graduate of the Pennsylvania College, teaching math and latin.
The Eyster school served young ladies from "the best" local families. One of the pupils was Tillie Pierce, who wrote about the first day the Confederate's arrived in Gettysburg. On 26 June 1863 the class was dismissed by Mrs Eyster as Confederate Major General Jubal Early's troops marched into town by simply saying, “Children, run home as quickly as you can." The building was used for a hospital after the battle, as most buildings in Gettysburg were. Rebecca Eyster closed the school in 1871.
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| View from back along Washington St |
It has been a private residence since. During WWI it was used as Officer Quarters. You can see an artillery shell in the side of the building today. It is a Reed shell from a 10 pound Parrott gun.
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