“Saving” The Gettysburg Cyclorama, Just thinking out loud!

I had stopped in Borders Bookstores here in New Jersey to get a cup of coffee and do some quiet reading..

I picked up a copy of one of the Civil War magazines and in it was an article on the group that is SUING the NPS to “Save” the Cyclorama Building at Gettysburg. For those who do not know, the building was built in the 1960s to house the Cyclorama painting and also served as office space, and a place to show the introductory movie for Gettysburg along with some of the artifacts from the battle. Well items that could not be shown over at the “Old VC” and also some paintings..

I was struck by the thoughts of the person being interviewed. She said that the Cyclorama is a very important part of Pennsylvania history.. Citing the fact that the Park service almost now 50 years ago,, commission a friend of Frank Lloyd Wright to design the building.

These were for me at least her main points.

This provoked the following thoughts from me, and questions I would have asked her. Oh yes, none of these are in any particular order.

1.) The Park Service staff have said themselves, that the building is a disaster. It doesnt have ANY functional use. It leaks, its damp, the design of it has turned it into a fungus and bacterial farm. And it also was part of the reason why the Cyclorama Painting was almost lost. So if the NPS staff themselves say get rid of it, then guess what, THEY ARE THE PROS! Listen to them! Its not worth SAVING!

2.) While to my knowledge there was no direct fighting in the area of either building, they BOTH are in areas where at least defensive and gun positions were in place. According to Glenn Tuckers book “The High Tide at Gettysburg”, he notes that confederate dead were found within what would be the side door facing the Angle. Its part of the battlefield. Its HALLOWED GROUND.

3.) Suing the NPS.. The NPS is strapped as it is. And to SUE it to force it to do something that goes AGAINST the overall plan for the park is wasting OUR MONEY! And money that is needed to keep the Park running.

4.) Ok, if they want to save it, NO MONEY, NONE, NADA, NOTHING, NOT A CENT of NPS money designated for either park operations or the money to continue the restoration of the Park back to 1863, should be used to save it. Why? See reason #1. And if any money that the Gettysburg Foundation, that has been raised by the foundation should be used to save that building. Once again, NOTHING, NADA, NOT A CENT of either NPS money or GB Foundation money should be used. And as a member of the Gettysburg Foundation, I will even lead the fight to keep that from happening.

So in closing. To those who want to save this DUMP, please go ahead. Raise your money, buy the land, figure out how you are going to save it. Thats fine.

But it cannot stay were it is. Its on hallowed ground. Its another mistake thats going to be corrected. Its taken 50 years to do so. Its about time.

Thanks for listening, I will get down off my soap box now.

Jim Lamason