Welcome to
the Most important Round Table, in the Most important small town,
at the most important battlefield,
in the most important country
in the world.
Joe Mieczkowski, Past President
November 21 - The George Rose Farm at Gettysburg
Presented by John S. Heiser
“The center of the storm.”
On July 2, 1863, the expansive George Rose farm transitioned from a scene of great prosperity to one of nearly total destruction, the unwanted center of the Confederate assault that afternoon. Left behind was unspeakable devastation, a tragedy that haunted the farm's residents for years after, and despite its significance was almost lost due to negligence and apathy. This program will look at the genesis of the farm, the Roses' struggle to recover, and the continuing saga of a site that was one of the bloodiest of the battle of Gettysburg.
About the Speaker
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Western Carolina University from which he graduated in 1978 with a degree in American History. He began his career with the National Park Service in 1976 as a seasonal employee at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park then transferred to Gettysburg National Military Park in 1980, where he held positions in several of the park’s divisions including the Division of Interpretation and Visitor Services, the Chief Historian’s Office and in the Structures Preservation Division in park maintenance. In 1997, he returned to the Division of Visitor Services as a historian, where he developed the first park web site for Gettysburg National Military Park, provided research assistance to park staff and visitors, and managed the park’s research library. He presented annual battle walk programs on different aspects of the battle and campaign and authored several works on soldier’s experiences at Gettysburg until his retirement in 2020. He is probably best known as a mapmaker for numerous Civil War publications, including Gettysburg Magazine. In 1997, he was the appointed historian of The Polar Bear Association of World War II, the organization of veterans of the 339th Infantry, 85th Infantry Division, the unit in which his father served during World War II, until the Association disbanded in 2009. He remains active with several organizations related to United States culture and military history.
He and his wife Carmen reside near Gettysburg with Annabelle, their very happy Scottish Terrier. They enjoy antiques, road cycling, music, and while he faithfully follows the trials and tribulations of the Baltimore Orioles Baseball Team, his wife prefers the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Adams County Historical Society
You can view October's Meeting at the link below: