The drawings in Appendices A & B illustrate the contradictory evidence found in construction of different portions of the wall. Franzen and Voorhees disagree about the foundation characteristics; Voorhees has dug out 3-foot test holes alongside the walls at intervals,, and concludes that the foundation stones do not jut out as suggested by Franzen's drawing. It is probable that Franzen examined one of the sections of the wall rebuilt after collapse in the 1920s. Since that collapse was attributed to inadequate drainage and poor foundation it could be that a rather substantial foundation (such as the one portrayed by Franzen) was put in.
The stone composition is of random-sized and irregularly shaped diabase and ironstone granite found locally. The coping stones are also of this "Gettysburg granite", and are bevelled slightly toward the center, making an apex with slightly sloped sides to facilitate shedding water. The edges and faces of the coping are rough dressed.
The stones seem to be dry laid on dirt, with mortar only used for pointing purposes to seal the joint. On examination of collapsed sections, there is no evidence of mortar within the cavity or interior surfaces of the granite face
The panels themselves have two parallel horizontal bars transversing the thirteen pickets, one near the top and one near the bottom. The top horizontal bars of each panel are ship-lapped to receive the top bars of the adjoining panel. Where the contour of the ground is not level, the shiplaps were sawn off, and the sawn end of the panel welded to the post. Atop the ship-lapped ends of the panel and affixed to the top of the posts is a "flowering" finial. These heavy pieces are pinned into the shiplaps, but often the pin has broken and the finials have loosened or fallen off.
The lance-pointed pickets are round with a raised bead in the center, and quarter-sized pickets between each of the thirteen pickets are at the bottom of the panels to deter animals from entering the cemetery.
The posts have hollowed square bases and are columnar in shape (composed of four ovulo-shaped pieces), and have urn-like finials. The picket finials are fleur-de-lis.
The gateposts are also hollow and are composed of four sides, each joined at a corner-guard by screw bolts. The sides have rusticated raised panels (nine on each side of four of them and seven on each side of the other two). The front panels of the two central gateposts have the names of the Union states (with soldier dead in the National Cemetery) in raised letters upon them. The central posts are surmounted by a cast-iron half globe, upon which a cast-iron eagle with outspread wings is perched. The four other posts have draped-urn finials.