WAR DEPARTMENT
National Military Park
Gettysburg, Pa.

319.1

Subject: Annual Report.

To: The Quartermaster General, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.

3. EMPLOYEES: The number of employees was the same as that of 1928, as follows: The Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent, 1 Forester, 1 Clerk, 1 Messenger, 6 guards on the avenues and grounds, 7 artisans and 21 laborers, making a total of 39.

4. MONUMENTS, MARKERS AND TABLETS: The site for the North Carolina State Monument, which was not definitely determined at the close of 1928, was selected on West Confederate Avenue, along Pettigrew's line of battle, and the erection of the monument started in the early part of June 1929. The site selected is 200 feet square east of West Confederate Avenue and marked at the corners by square granite markers. The monument is bronze which stands on a granite slab and the foundation is concrete. The United Daughters of the Confederacy, State of North Carolina, erected a marker on the same plot with the North Carolina State Monument.

5. PROPERTY AUDIT: On May 25, 1929, Captain William N. Skyles, Finance Department, Property Auditor, Philadelphia, Pa. made the annual audit of Park property.

6. RESURFACING ROADS AND AVENUES: A contract dated April 25, 1928, with Edward J. Farrell, Gettysburg, Pa. for resurfacing Hancock, Two Loops, East Confederate, Sykes, Warren, Sickles, Wheatfield, Buford and North Confederate Avenues at a contract price of $15,400.00, was completed on August 13, 1928, and paid from the "No-year" appropriation.

The contract dated June 20, 1928, with Edward J. Farrell, Gettysburg, Pa. for resurfacing a section of Pleasonton and a section of Humphreys Avenues at a contract price of $437.46, was completed on July 30, 1928, and paid from the 1929 fiscal year appropriation.

On September 27, 1928, a contract with Edward J. Farrell, Gettysburg, Pa. was made to resurface Howard Avenue and a part of the Mummasburg Road for $3,010.56 and paid from the "No-year" appropriation.

On April 1, 1929, a contract with the Good Roads Company, Inc., Upper Darby P. O., Philadelphia, Pa. was made to resurface Reynolds Branch, Reynolds and Wadsworth and Meredith and Stone Avenues for $3,670.82. This contract was increased with Change Order "A" dated May 16, 1929, to resurface Doubleday Avenue, in the amount of $792.70, making the total cost $4,463.52 to be paid from the 1929 fiscal year appropriation.

On May 16, 1929, a contract was made with Edward J. Farrell, Gettysburg, Pa. to resurface Robinson Avenue for $405.00 and paid from the "No-year" appropriation.

On June 24, 1929, a contract was made with Edward J. Farrell, Gettysburg, Pa. to resurface Sedgwick Loop, Pleasonton Avenue and Virginia Memorial Drive for $852.14 to be paid from the 1929 fiscal year appropriation. Owing to the lateness of the contract this work was not completed until after the end of the fiscal year.

7. MOWING: The usual amount of mowing was done during the spring, summer, and autumn. This was done by both horse-drawn and motor power machines. Mounds surrounding monuments and markers were kept in order with hand lawn mowers.

8. FENCING: No new post fencing was erected during the year. Owing to the prevalence of chestnut blight it is difficult to get sound material of this kind in this locality. However, enough posts were secured to make necessary repairs from time to time. It is proposed to substitute concrete posts instead of wood and wire in place of wood rails, so far as practicable when new fences are required.

9. PAINTING: The usual amount of painting of gun carriages, limbers, caissons, pyramids of shells, iron tablets and stands, bridges, guard railings, and pipe fencing was done. All the metal roofs on farm buildings were also painted. This work was all accomplished by the painters who are park employees.

10. GUTTERS AND DRAINS: About 4000 feet of old stone drains along the avenues were removed and concrete drains put in place, This makes a much needed improvement giving much better support to the sides of the avenues and when all stone drains are replaced with concrete the need for applying weed killer in the gutters will be eliminated.

11. LAND UNDER LEASE: There are now 14 Government owned farms under lease with an aggregate acreage of 1187.92 acres. Tenants were changed at the following; Biggs Farm, Smith Farm, Weikert Farm, Hummelbaugh Property and Meade's Headquarters. The McPherson land has not been under lease since April 1, 1929, and the McMillan and Barrett land and Powers Hill field are not under lease. These are without buildings and it has not been possible to lease them to adjacent owners of land, as all have quit farming. The tenants on farms under lease have followed the prevailing rotation of crops of this section and have shown proper care of the buildings.

Special attention is again called to the condition of many of the farm buildings that are badly in need of repair if they are to be retained as original historical features of the battlefield. The most noted of these is the old log house known as "Meade's Headquarters". Attention was called to this in the report of 1928.

12. CAMPING ON PARK: On July 31, 1928, the Experimental Motorized Force from Camp Leonard Wood, in charge of Col. O. S. Eskridge camped on the Wheat Field.
On October 11, 1928, a detachment of the Experimental Motorized Force from Camp Leonard Wood, in charge of Lieut. J. O. Hyatt, numbering about 20 men, camped on Pardee Field.

On May 27 and 28, 1929, about 400 men and officers from Carlisle Barracks, Pa. camped on the Wheat Field.

During the year there were several troops of boy scouts in charge of scout masters given permission to camp on Pardee Field.

13. GUIDE SERVICE: On January 19, 1929, a guide examination was held by the Superintendent of guides, 22 applicants being examined. Of this number 13 passed and were added to the list of eligibles remaining from the examination held on October 15, 1927.

At the beginning of the calendar year 99 licenses were issued. On account of increased tourist traffic 6 temporary additions were made later from the list of eligibles making the total number for the year 105.

Quarterly reports were rendered by the guides to the Superintendent of the number of tourists conducted by each over the battlefield. From these reports estimates were made of the total number of tourists visiting the Park during the year. These estimates have been forwarded to The Quartermaster General at the end of each quarter.

In Reply Refer To: QM 319.1 A-C
Gettysburg

Subject: Annual Report.

To: Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Penna.

1. Referring to the reference in your annual report, fiscal year 1929, to need for repair of the farm buildings, especially Meade's Headquarters, it is suggested that you take a survey of needs in the way of repairs and advise this office at the time remittances of farm rentals are sent to the Chief of Finance, when this office will request apportionment of the funds for necessary repairs until completed.

For The Quartermaster General:

John T. ? Major,
Q. M. Corps,
Assistant.

319.1
1st Ind.
Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pa. October 7, 1929
To The Quartermaster General, Washington, D. C.

1. By communication of even date herewith, $1087.50 farm rentals has been remitted.

2. The following are the most urgently needed repairs:

3. The barn on the Codori Farm cannot be repaired at this time. The mow is now filled with hay and this work will have to be deferred until it is emptied, which will be some time during next summer. It is therefore recommended that this item be deferred with the understanding that an allotment will be made from the semi-annual payments due April 1, 1930, sufficient in addition to any unexpended balance from this remittance to do the work.

4. It cannot be expected ever to rent the property on which the building known as Meade's Headquarters is situated to advantage. This building is not a fit habitation for any reliable tenant under modern conditions. It consists only of two rooms and a low attic with no modern conveniences whatever. The water in the well at this place is not potable and a notice to that effect has been placed on the pump. The tenant was warned of this condition and that any water to be used for human consumption should be boiled. Considerable difficulty was experienced in collecting the first half years rental from this tenant and it now appears doubtful whether the installment due will be paid. If it is not, this office proposes to require the tenant to vacate.

5. The idea in mind when the recommendation in the Annual Report was made was that no further effort be made to render this building habitable because of its unsuitability for a dwelling and the impractibility of securing a tenant who would keep the premises in good condition and sightly, something the present tenant has not done satisfactorily. It was thought, after the building was vacant to restore the interior, as nearly as practicable, to the appearance it probably had at the time used as headquarters by General Meade, then to place grating inside the door, something similar to that at Mount Vernon so that visitors could obtain a view of the interior without relic hunters getting inside and despoiling the building or any of the articles therein. This it estimated would cost approximately $500.00 or $912.50 more than the current remittance, to be allotted out of the April 1, 1930 payments.

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