Four Score and Still Counting: My Love Affair with History

 

I have always been drawn to the town of Gettysburg, PA. and I ask myself why.  I have walked the battlefields and feel an eerie presence of pain and suffering.  I am from Long Island, but I am in no way competition for Teresa Caputo aka the Long Island medium.  I can't explain this feeling of Deja vu.  All I know is I feel like I was there a long time ago.

When I recently went to visit my Maryland Besties for our annual holiday party, I took a trip to visit my friend from my old book club.  She just bought a home in a 55+ community.  It is just beautiful, and it was great to see her.

The town was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War (Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863), a turning point that shaped the nation’s future. Just months later, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous speech here, redefining the meaning of democracy and sacrifice. Just to jog your memory, it started like this "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." A very powerful speech!

Gettysburg today is a town that has somehow managed to preserve its history. No big office buildings. As you stroll down its streets, countless buildings bear plaques declaring their presence since the Civil War. Walking among them, I found myself imagining the people who once passed along these same paths in the 1800s. There’s an undeniable connection, a palpable vibe, that bridges past and present and I love it.

 We went for lunch at the Sign of the Buck a lovely restaurant in Downtown Gettysburg. In 1804, George Welsh opened the original Sign of the Buck tavern on Chambersburg Street. At the time, many people couldn’t read, so businesses used pictorial signs to indicate the type of business. The building became part of the Union Hotel, a boarding house and gathering spot in downtown Gettysburg. If you look at the picture below, the restaurant and tavern take up the whole first floor.

I was so happy to see the vegetable grilled cheese on the menu.  You all know how much I love my grilled cheese sandwiches and it did not disappoint. My friends ordered other menu items, and each were equally as good.

The Sign of the Buck is more than a restaurant—it’s a living piece of Gettysburg’s civic and cultural history. From a frontier tavern where travelers rested, to a modern brasserie where locals and visitors gather, it reflects how Gettysburg continually reinterprets its past for new generations.

If you are ever travelling in and around Gettysburg, spend some time in the downtown area. It is worth it. And while you are at it, take some time to enjoy one of the restaurants and have lunch or dinner. I really liked the Sign of the Buck but there are others as well!