New Archives Exhibit: Impact of the Civil War on the Seminary Archives

There is a new exhibit on display in the Library Lobby! Continuing with the theme of the Civil War in honor of the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the new exhibit is entitled, "The Impact of the Civil War on the Seminary Archives." This exhibit complements the previous post on the A.R. Wentz Library Blog, The Civil War's Impact on the Seminary Archives. On display you will find materials from the Samuel Simon Schmucker Collection that predate the Civil War, withstanding the Confederate attack on July 1, 1863.

Want to learn more about Samuel Simon Schmucker and Gettysburg Seminary History? Contact Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717- 339-1317.

The Civil War's Impact on the Seminary Archives

153 years ago the grounds of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG) were quite different than today. On the morning of July 1, 1863 the campus was filled with union troops. Soon thereafter, three buildings (pictured above) were occupied by confederate soldiers and became sites of refuge for the wounded and dying: Schmucker Hall or "Old Dorm" (center), the Schmucker House (right), and the Krauth House (left). The Battle of Gettysburg was underway.

The devastation of war is highly examined in academia, literature, and entertainment, yet the effect that war has on archival repositories is not widely discussed. Although the act of keeping items of value has been around since the beginning of humankind, the concept of security measures or a disaster plan did not exist until the second half of the twentieth century. LTSG had been collecting seminary-related documents of importance since its founding in 1826. Housed in founder Dr. Samuel Simon Schmucker's own home which stood on seminary grounds, the morning of July 1, 1863 had a devastating impact on what is available for research today. Keep on reading to learn more.