Say 'No' to Casino Development at Gettysburg
Gettysburg, the site of one of America's most important 19th century battles, is representative of the danger faced by many other Civil War battlefields. Today, the 6,000-acre national park and surrounding Gettysburg Historic District attracts 1.5 million visitors each year, and the battleground – with the exception of some modern intrusions and a few commercial developments – remains largely as it did in July 1863.
Bordering the park are strip shopping malls and fast food franchises, and privately-held land at the park's boundary poses a continuing threat to its historic environment. Development plans have included a commercial campground within the park and a shopping mall, visible on its periphery from various vantage points. The National Park Service and private organizations work to acquire property and ensure scenic easements to protect the integrity of this land.
Important Updates
- An independent analysis released August 26, 2010, reveals deep flaws in the proposed Gettysburg Casino economic projections. Read More »
- The American Legion, in an August 12, 2010 article on their website, has called the casino plans "a disgrace." Learn more »
- On June 30, 2010, more than 275 American historians sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board speaking out against the proposed casino. Read More »
- On May 30, 2010, three hundred people gathered for a candlelight vigil in Gettysburg to commemorate the historical significance of the place. Read More »
- On January 26, 2010, a coalition of state and national preservation groups – including the Civil War Preservation Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Preservation Pennsylvania – sent a letter to Adams County, Pa., businessman David LeVan, telling him of their decision to oppose his effort to open a casino a half-mile to the south of Gettysburg National Military Park. Read the Press Release »
Important Facts
- The same developer who failed to achieve approval from the state Gaming Control Board in 2006 for a casino in Adams County is preparing this new proposal as well. In this case, the casino would be even closer to the historic battlefield – merely one-half mile away – as part of a resort-style facility in the Eisenhower Resort and Conference Center.
- The site is also within the historically sensitive “study area” of the battlefield, as defined by the American Battlefield Protection Program (the battlefield preservation arm of the National Park Service).
- Not only is this proposal significantly closer than the 2006 plan, it also lies along the Emmittsberg road, at the heart of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway (created in October 2009) and Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area (signed into law in May 2008).
- The casino has the potential to significantly increase traffic through the area, generate more large-scale development, and introduce out-of-place signage into what has been a relatively undeveloped area.
- The coalitions which opposed the previous casino proposal have reassembled and have expressed their opposition to the current plan. While work continues to garner support through national organizations, grassroots organizing grows as well.
Watch the Video: "Help Protect the Hallowed Ground of Gettysburg"
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