Help Reimagine the Princeton Visitor's and Education Center

The American Battlefield Trust is partnering with the Princeton Battlefield Society and the New Jersey State Park Service to implement a multi-year plan dubbed “Reimagining Princeton” — an ambitious initiative to restore and interpret Princeton Battlefield State Park.

The American Battlefield Trust, in partnership with the Princeton Battlefield Society, New Jersey State Parks, and other historic preservation groups, are making rapid progress on “Reimagining Princeton” – an ambitious plan to fully revitalize Princeton Battlefield State Park.   

This multi-year initiative will ensure that Princeton Battlefield State Park finally receives the world-class interpretation it deserves. At the heart of this vision is the creation of a new Visitor and Education Center that will bring the 1777 Battle of Princeton to life and provide immersive experiences for recreational tourists, school groups, and history enthusiasts.

Support the Princeton Visitor & Education Center

This center will help visitors understand one of the American Revolution’s most pivotal moments while providing modern amenities, educational programming, and interactive exhibits that cannot be installed in the current visitor contact station in the historic Thomas Clark House. With the 250th anniversary of the battle approaching in early 2027, this project is essential to ensuring Princeton Battlefield can welcome and inspire the next generation of students, scholars, and visitors.

To make this vision a reality, the New Jersey Legislature needs to commit to funding the Visitor and Education Center in the state’s FY2027 budget.

Tell NJ Lawmakers: Fund Princeton Battlefield

We’re asking dedicated supporters like yourself to sign a letter urging state decision-makers to include this critical investment in the upcoming budget. Please join us in advocating for the Visitor and Education Center to ensure the inspirational story of the Battle of Princeton is preserved for generations to come.

With great appreciation,

Jim Campi

Chief Policy and Communications Officer

American Battlefield Trust

P.S. A gift toward our advocacy efforts helps us convince lawmakers to make battlefield preservation a national priority. Please make a gift to support our advocacy work today!

An Evening with the Cyclorama Painting

Experience “An Evening with the Painting” in 2026 at Gettysburg

Popular Program Offers Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access to the Gettysburg Cyclorama.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (Dec. 16, 2025)—The Gettysburg Foundation invites members, visitors and the local community to experience “An Evening with the Painting” in 2026. Taking place after hours in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, this immersive program offers a behind-the-scenes exploration of the historic Gettysburg Cyclorama—one of the nation’s most significant works of 19th-century art.

Painted in the 1880s by French artist Paul Philippoteaux and a team of assistants, the Gettysburg Cyclorama is a massive, 42-foot-high by 377-foot-long artwork depicting Pickett’s Charge, the dramatic climax of the Battle of Gettysburg. Suspended in-the-round, the painting encircles visitors in a 360-degree, three-dimensional experience that puts them at the center of the battle.

An Evening with the Painting invites guests to explore the story behind the Cyclorama, including its history as a visual medium, the creation and symbolism of the artwork, and the preservation efforts that restored it to its original impact. The program features:

Exclusive platform access for detailed viewing of both near and distant scenesAn under-diorama perspective revealing the structure, artistry and lighting techniques behind the immersive effectInteractive discussion and Q&A with Foundation historians and program experts

Each session starts in the Ford Education Center and lasts about two hours with guided programming. To provide a personalized and engaging experience, attendance is limited to 40 participants per session.

January – September 2026 Program Dates:

All programs run from 5–7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, Jan. 17, 4-6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 13, 4-6 p.m.
Saturday, March 21
Saturday, April 11
Saturday, May 23
Saturday, June 27
Tuesday, June 30
Saturday, July 18
Saturday, Aug. 8
Saturday, Sept. 5
Saturday, Sept. 26

Ticket reservations may be made by calling the Gettysburg Foundation Guest Relations team at 717-334-2436, by visiting GettysburgFoundation.org or in person at the Ticket Counter in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pa. Friends of Gettysburg receive a member rate when purchasing tickets. Program dates in October, November and December will be announced later in 2026.

As the official non-profit partner of the National Park Service at Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Foundation directs proceeds from this program to benefit Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site.

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, Children of Gettysburg 1863® and the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad StationTM. 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 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 and donations to the Gettysburg Foundation benefit Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site.

Historical plaque in Reading Park commemorates Civil War era military hospital

WFMZ .com Dec 15, 2025

READING, Pa.- On a frigid December day, officials, historians and members of the International Honor Society of Nursing gathered at Reading's City Park, formerly known as Penn's Common, to celebrate the unveiling of a historical marker where a Civil War-era military hospital operated from 1862 to 1863.

Members of the Ladies Volunteer Aid Association helped care for the wounded who were brought in at that time. 

"They helped to create the hospital, to stock the hospital and to make sure that the patients had extra things such as books and things to make them more comfortable while they were here," said Theresa Adams, a nurse historian for Sigma Chapter at Alvernia University. 

Local researchers found an obituary of a nurse here from that time.

"She spoke about the fact that there were only four nurses," Adams explained. "Two worked day shift and two worked night shift, providing all the care for the patients that were here."

Adams, along with other members of the International Society of Nursing at Alvernia University, were instrumental in bringing about the commemorative marker.

The plaque will be placed in the general area where that hospital once stood near the current comfort station in City Park. 

"I think it's really important that the Ladies Aid Society is recognized for the work that they did do because in those days, in particular, it was the males, their husbands, who were physicians that were mentioned for their work that they did," said Adams.  "They [the ladies] were quietly doing this work, behind the scenes, because that's what women did; they were caregivers."

Historic Gunboat Housed At Vicksburg NMP At Risk Of Completely Decaying

From National Parks Traveler
By Jennifer Roberts October 29, 2025

NPS files

The USS Cairo, housed at Vicksburg National Military Park, is in danger of completely decaying if changes aren’t made to the way it’s being stored / NPS file.

A historic Civil War gunboat on display at Vicksburg National Military Park is in danger of completely decaying if changes aren’t made to the way it’s being stored, according to a 2025 study (attached). 

The USS Cairo was one of the first steam-powered and ironclad ships used in the Civil War and sank in the Yazoo River of Mississippi in 1862 after a mine detonated and tore a hole in the port bow. The ship remained at the bottom of the river for nearly 100 years and was gradually buried with sediments. After the ship was recovered from the river, it remained exposed to the environment for over a decade.

Once funding was secured for preserving the ship at the Vicksburg National Military Park under the direction of the National Park Service in the 1970s, it was placed under a covered, open-sided structure, and the wood received various treatments to protect it from insects and decay.

However, the treatments haven’t entirely halted damage to the wood, which is showing signs of advanced decay. “Since the ship was stored unsheltered outside for many years after it was recovered, there was ample opportunity for fungi to colonize and decay the wood,” wrote the authors of the study.

Funded by the National Park Service, the recent study sought to determine the elemental composition and condition of the wood and to identify the fungi living in the structure of the USS Cairo.

To do this, lead author Robert Blanchette, a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota, and three other researchers visited Vicksburg National Military Park to take samples directly from the decaying wood.

“To think about the history of it, and then to see that it's still there and you can look at it and learn more about it…it is really quite fantastic,” explained Blanchette during a recent interview. “It was great to be able to actually get into the ship and be there where back in 1861 they were using this in some of the rivers in the Civil War to fight off the other ships…it's quite exciting to visit the ship.”

The researchers discovered both soft rot and white rot fungi in the samples taken from the gunboat, some of which appear tolerant of compounds used to treat wood for preservation.

“We really don't know exactly how they do it and how they continue to grow there when other fungi can't,” said Blanchette. “More information is needed about [the fungi] to see how they do this, how do they tolerate these preservatives?”

In the meantime, Blanchette emphasized that the ship needs to be better protected. “The fungi are there. They’re continually attacking that wood. It’s going to gradually degrade more and more over time. For long-term preservation, it really is important to try to find funds to get the ship into a building that has environmental control. This would not only control the fungi because you’re controlling moisture, but you won’t have insect problems, and you won’t have that change in humidity occurring and temperature fluctuations that can cause problems with wood as it expands and contracts in different seasons.”

The results of the study were presented to Park Service staff at Vicksburg and are being evaluated. “I think that they would like to try to initiate getting a building for [the ship],” said Blanchette, though we were not able to confirm any current or future plans for the USS Cairo due to the ongoing government shutdown.

“We see that over a few decades, there has been deterioration and decay taking place in the ship, and it's only going to get progressively worse,” explained Blanchette. “The exact amount of time that's available is difficult to say, but for long-term preservation, something has to be done.”

Washington’s Crossing Reenactments Return December 14 and 25, 2025

Step back in time this December as General Washington’s daring Delaware River crossing is brought to life during two spectacular reenactments at Washington Crossing Historic Park, located at 1112 River Road Washington Crossing, PA 18977 at the intersection of Routes 532 and 32. Thousands will gather on the banks of the river to witness this defining moment of the American Revolution, an enduring holiday tradition now in its 73rd year.

The Friends of Washington Crossing Park will host two opportunities to experience the Crossing this season: the First Crossing on Sunday, December 14, and the Christmas Day Crossing on Thursday, December 25. Both events feature hundreds of reenactors in full Continental Army dress, bringing the 18th century to life with military drills, fife and drum music, and the dramatic river crossing in replica Durham boats. Funding for this event was provided by America250PA’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program.

First Crossing: Sunday, December 14, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM–3:00 PM (actual crossing at 1:00 PM)
Tickets: $9 for adults, $5 for children ages 5–11, free for children under 5; family rate (2 adults and 2 children under 18) is $25.

The First Crossing is not a dress rehearsal, it’s a full-day event that offers visitors a wide range of immersive 18th-century experiences beyond the historical reenactment. Guests can take part in a variety of activities designed for visitors of all ages:

• Meet General Washington and his guard in the historic village

• Hear the Washington Crossing Fife & Drum Corps perform

• See reenactors row across the Delaware River

• Participate in kids military drills with toy muskets

• Experience live cannon fire

• View mounted militia riding on horseback

• Explore a follower’s encampment, flying hospital and sutlery

• Watch blacksmiths demonstrate their craft

• Taste period bread from Half Crown Bakehouse 

• Join the officers’ wives for tea and conversation

Guest Narrator and Featured Author: Tom Hand

This year’s event welcomes Tom Hand, founder of Americana Corner, as guest narrator and featured author. A graduate of the United States Military Academy West Point and a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Battlefield Trust, Hand is dedicated to preserving and sharing America’s founding story through education and public history initiatives.

Hand will also participate in a special book signing and presentation featuring his recent works:

• An American Triumph: America’s Founding Era through the Lives of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams

• America Victorious: Lesser-Known Campaigns and Commanders That Helped Win American Independence

Book Signing and Presentation Schedule:

• 10:00–11:00 AM: Book Signing

• 11:00–11:30 AM: Author Presentation

• 11:30 AM–12:00 PM: Book Signing

Members of the Friends of Washington Crossing Park receive access to a heated members-only tent with refreshments, provided by OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. Tickets can be purchased in advance at WashingtonCrossingPark.org/cross-with-us. Proceeds from this event support educational programming and ensure the Christmas Crossing remains free.

Get Tickets

Christmas Crossing: Thursday, December 25, 2025

Time: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM (actual crossing at 1:00 PM)
Tickets: Free

The traditional Christmas Crossing commemorates Washington’s bold move across the Delaware on the night of December 25, 1776. Visitors are encouraged to arrive by 11:30 AM to secure the best view of the riverbank ceremony, which includes military processions, fife and drum performances, and an inspiring speech from General Washington himself. Admission is free, thanks to proceeds from the First Crossing and contributions from many generous donors. McCaffrey’s Food Market will provide refreshments in a heated tent for Members of the Friends.

Don’t miss the boat for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary, learn about 2026 initiatives and how you can invest in the future while honoring the past!

2026 Initiatives

Additional Details

Parking is free and clearly marked. Individuals with disabilities who need assistance or accommodations should contact the Visitor Center at 215-493-4076. River crossings are contingent upon safe river conditions. In the event of unsafe weather, which does not allow for the crossing to occur, ceremonies, speeches and living history demonstrations will still take place. 

Washington's crossing is part of the Ten Crucial Days, a pivotal campaign from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777, during which Washington’s army achieved three critical victories at Trenton and Princeton that changed the course of the Revolutionary War. For a complete list of partner events, including the Old Barracks Museum’s Patriots Week in Trenton (December 26–31) and the Princeton Battlefield Society’s reenactment (January 4), visit www.WashingtonCrossingPark.org.

Frederick Douglass Reenactment Sat, Nov 8, 2025 at 1 p.m. at Historic Lehigh County Courthouse

Frederick Douglass reenactment by Darius Wallace on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 1 p.m. at the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse at 501 W. Hamilton St in Allentown
Lehigh County Historical Society will host a reenactment of the Abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ historic visit to Allentown in 1870. Douglass delivered an oration at the historic Lehigh County Courthouse to a packed audience of 500+. We will commemorate that event with an hour-long oration of Douglass speeches by a leading Douglass scholar and reenactor.
Parking will be available at the Lehigh County Prison Lot, on the street, and at the public parking garages.
FREE to the public

Special Veterans Appreciation Day at Gettysburg on Nov 11

Nov. 11, 2025

 Gettysburg, Pa. (Oct. 23, 2025)—The Gettysburg Foundation announces a special Veterans Appreciation Day at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. U.S. military veterans are invited to enjoy free admission to the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience to honor their service. Veterans should present proof of military service to receive free admission and are encouraged to arrive early (last show of the day begins at 4:15 p.m.)

  Visitors will begin with a screening of A New Birth of Freedom, followed by the dramatic light-and-sound presentation of the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting of Pickett’s Charge. Guests can then explore the 12-gallery Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War at their leisure throughout the day. Veterans are also invited to view free of charge the temporary exhibit A Rough Coarse Life: The World of the Civil War Soldier in the Gilder Lehrman Institute Special Exhibits Gallery. Featuring artifacts, documents and artwork—many connected to Gettysburg—the exhibit offers an intimate look at the experiences, struggles and memories of soldiers during the American Civil War, complementing the museum’s permanent galleries.

  Veterans, their families and guests are also welcome to visit the Friends Desk inside the Museum & Visitor Center to learn about Friends of Gettysburg memberships, volunteer opportunities and the Gettysburg Foundation’s ongoing work to preserve history and educate the public in partnership with the National Parks at Gettysburg.

  “As we honor Veterans Day, we are deeply grateful for the courage, dedication and sacrifices of our nation’s veterans,” said Jackie Spainhour, President and CEO of the Gettysburg Foundation. “This special day offers veterans and their families an opportunity to connect with history, reflect on the legacy of those who served in the past and experience the stories that make Gettysburg a place of remembrance and learning for all.”

  As always, active-duty U.S. military service members receive free admission to the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience.

  Celebrate Veterans Day with us and honor the service and sacrifice of those who have served our country.

Stone wall damaged at Devil's Den parking area

In an October 15th post on its facebook page, The Gettysburg Foundation noted that sometime on Tuesday, October 14, one of the stone walls at Devil's Den was toppled over.

Remember that we are all stewards of National Park Service sites! Our priority is the safety of our visitors, as well as the protection of our National Parks.

Think like the cavalry and be the eyes and ears for the National Park Service during the government shutdown.

If you see something, say something, and dial the Adams County non-emergency line at 717-334-8101. If there is an emergency, dial 911.

Free Zoom Program Sun, Nov 2 at 1pm - “Last Seen: Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Family”

THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC (G.A.R.) CIVIL WAR MUSEUM & ARCHIVE

 Presents a Free Zoom Program

Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.              

        “Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Family”

By Judith Giesberg

Drawing from an archive of nearly five thousand letters and advertisements, the riveting, dramatic story of formerly enslaved people who spent years searching for family members stolen away during slavery.

Of all the many horrors of slavery, the cruelest was the separation of families in slave auctions. Spouses and siblings were sold away from one other. Young children were separated from their mothers. Fathers were sent down river and never saw their families again.

As soon as slavery ended in 1865, family members began to search for one another, in some cases persisting until as late as the 1920s. They took out “information wanted” advertisements in newspapers and sent letters to the editor. Pastors in churches across the country read these advertisements from the pulpit, expanding the search to those who had never learned to read or who did not have access to newspapers. These documents demonstrate that even as most white Americans—and even some younger Black Americans, too—wanted to put slavery in the past, many former slaves, members of the “Freedom Generation,” continued for years, and even decades, to search for one another. These letters and advertisements are testaments to formerly enslaved people’s enduring love for the families they lost in slavery, yet they spent many years buried in the storage of local historical societies or on microfilm reels that time forgot.

Judith Giesberg draws on the archive that she founded—containing almost five thousand letters and advertisements placed by members of the Freedom Generation—to compile these stories in a narrative form for the first time. Her in-depth research turned up additional information about the writers, their families, and their enslavers. With this critical context, she recounts the moving stories of the people who placed the advertisements, the loved ones they tried to find, and the outcome of their quests to reunite.

This story underscores the cruelest horror of slavery—the forced breakup of families—and the resilience and determination of the formerly enslaved. Thoughtful, heart-wrenching, and illuminating, Last Seen finally gives this lesser-known aspect of slavery the attention it deserves.

 Link to purchase Last Seen

Judith Giesberg holds the Robert M. Birmingham Chair in the Humanities and is Professor of History at Villanova University. Giesberg is author of Civil War Sisterhood: The United States Sanitary Commission and Women's Politics in Transition (2000),“Army at Home:” Women and the Civil War on the Northern Home Front (2009), Emilie Davis's Civil War:  The Diaries of a Free Black Woman in Philadelphia, 1863-1865 (2014) and Sex and the Civil War:  Soldiers, Pornography, and the Making of Modern Morality, (2017).  Her new book, Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Family, published by Simon and Schuster, on February 4, 2025.

Giesberg directs a digital project, Last Seen:  Finding Family After Slavery, that is collecting, digitizing, and transcribing information wanted ads taken out by formerly enslaved people looking for family members lost to the domestic slave trade.  This project was featured in, among other media outlets, the New York Times, Washington Post, CBS Evening News, and NPR’s All Things Considered.  As of this past April (2024), the website (informationwanted.org) had been accessed more than twelve and half million times. Giesberg founded and serves as Director of the Rooted Project which is working to research and tell a history of Villanova University informed by today’s movements toward racial and economic justice.

Giesberg lectures widely to audiences of genealogists, teachers, and interested members of the public at libraries, schools, museums, and churches.  

 To reserve a virtual seat for this outstanding presentation, reply by e-mail to garmuslib1866@gmail.com

 You will be sent a link with a password that will enable you to access the program within 24 hours of the start of the presentation. 

 Deadline for signing-up is Saturday, October 31, 2025 at Noon.

 As a lover of history, you know how critical it is to keep history alive, especially today.  We very much appreciate your continued support for the GAR Civil War Museum & Archive

GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC MUSEUM & ARCHIVE
8110 Frankford Ave. (Holmesburg - N.E. Philadelphia), 19136
 www.garmuslib.org

Road Work has Begun Around Allentown's Civil War Memorial

The Center Square Redesign Project at 7th and Hamilton around the Civil War Memorial has entered its first stage. Listed below are some traffic restrictions in the coming weeks. The city reports that they anticipate the entire project will be completed by the end of 2026.

Click here for a history of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Traffic Alert: 7th & Hamilton Street Lane Restrictions

• Beginning Monday, October 20, lane restrictions and closures will take place in five phases for work on the Center Square waterline at 7th & Hamilton:

• 10/20–10/22: Lane restrictions only

• 10/23–10/29: No left turn onto Hamilton St. (southbound 7th St.)

• 10/30–10/31: Lane restrictions only

• 11/3–11/4: No right turn onto 7th St. (eastbound Hamilton St.)

• 11/5–11/14: Lane restrictions only

This is the first stage of the Center Square Redesign Project. We anticipate the entire project will be completed by the end of 2026.

Please plan ahead and use caution when traveling through the area during this time.