American Battlefield Trust hopes to purchase General Pickett’s Buffet
November 9, 2022 by Leon Reed
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In the first major land preservation action in the core area of the of the Gettysburg battlefield since the 2003 demolition of the Home Sweet Home Motel, the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) plans to purchase the site of General Pickett’s Buffet Restaurant located on the southern edge of Gettysburg at 571 Steinwehr Avenue. The site is also home to the Gettysburg Battlefield Theater.
The ABT, formerly known as the Civil War Trust, is a charitable organization that has acquired and preserved over 50,000 acres of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
“For generations, this half-acre property that played a major role in Pickett’s Charge has been compromised by commercial development, operating as a restaurant, theater, and gift shop known as General Pickett’s Buffet. Now, the long-time owner has decided to retire and give the Trust the opportunity to buy and restore the property,” said an announcement on the ABT website.
General Pickett’s is a longtime popular restaurant that has provided meals to untold numbers of bus tourists. But it was also one of the most intrusive commercial presences on the battlefield, plainly visible by any visitor standing at the Angle or leaving the National Cemetery from the Taneytown Rd. exit, for example. It is also land where pivotal action of Pickett’s Charge took place.
The move drew high marks from historians and preservationists.
“When George Pickett tried to rally his men for their charge across the field toward the Union line, he certainly said, ‘Some day, future generations will honor your courage and sacrifice on this battlefield with an all-you-can-eat buffet!’ Of course he didn’t—but that’s part of what has made General Pickett’s Buffet such a surreal part of the Gettysburg landscape,” said Chris Mackowski, author of five books on Gettysburg. “It has become such a well-known landmark, but it’s jarring in its juxtaposition. Reclaiming that part of the battlefield, in the context of the reclamation that has gone on directly across the street, will help restore the hallowed nature of the ground where this fabled story took place.”
Mackowski said he was speaking as an individual.
“It is hard to think of a more important parcel on the battlefield to be preserved. This is a natural follow-up to the acquisition and reclamation of the adjacent Home Sweet Home motel property two decades ago,” said licensed guide and author Ralph Siegel, who said he was speaking as an individual.
It is likely that this property will be transferred to the Gettysburg National Military Park once it has been cleared and rehabilitated.
Featured image from Google Maps.