Eisenhower National Historic Site
Encyclopedia
Eisenhower National Historic Site was the home and farm of General and President of the United States
Dwight D. Eisenhower
and Mamie Doud Eisenhower
. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
, the farm served as a weekend retreat for the President and a meeting place for world leaders. It was the Eisenhowers' home after they left the White House
in 1961. With its putting green, skeet
range, and view of South Mountain
, it offered President Eisenhower a much-needed respite from the pressures of Washington
. It was also a successful cattle
operation, with a show herd of black Angus cattle
. Some of the more notable of Eisenhower's guests were Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
, French President Charles de Gaulle
, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
, and California Governor Ronald Reagan
.
had visited the battlefield in 1915. In 1918 he was assigned to nearby Camp Colt in his first independent command as an army officer, commanding a tank training unit; he and Mamie Eisenhower were newly married.
Throughout his long army career, Dwight Eisenhower and his wife never had a house to call their own, with the couple moving from army post to army post. After he became Columbia University
's president in 1948, Mamie requested that they finally have a place to call their own. A married couple that were friends with the Eisenhowers, George and Mary Allen, had recently purchased a small farm around Gettysburg, and recommended the area. In 1950, they found a "run-down farm" on the outskirts of Gettysburg, and purchased the farm and its 189 acres (76.5 ha) for $40,000 (equal to $ today) from one Allen Redding, who had owned the farm since 1921. Eisenhower stated that he could feel the "forgotten heroisms" that occurred on the grounds as the Battle of Gettysburg
.
When purchased, the 189 acre (0.76485654 km²) included 600 chicken
s, 25 cow
s, and many dilapidated buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Renovation of the property was delayed when Eisenhower became supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. After he had attained the presidency of the United States in 1953, Mamie had him rebuild the old house. Much of the original building had to be torn down, due to its deterioration. The total cost of renovation cost $250,000 (equal to $ today), due partly to Mamie's whims and also to his wanting to appeal to labor unions, meaning he spent $65,000 (equal to $ today) for the union help that had to come from 75 miles (120.7 km) away in Washington, D.C. on a daily basis to construct the farmhouse. In 1955, to celebrate the construction being finished (and it being the Eisenhowers' wedding anniversary), they threw a celebration party, the guests of which included the entire staff of the White House
; as they didn't want the White House to go unstaffed, the staff went in two shifts, and were forever grateful to the Eisenhowers for including them in the festivities.
From its completion in 1955 to the end of Eisenhower's second term on January 20, 1961, the President spent 365 days total on the Gettysburg farm. The longest of these stays was 38 days, due to recovering from an heart attack he suffered in Colorado
in 1955. Afterwards, the Eisenhowers spent most weekends and summer vacations at the Gettysburg Farm, sometimes going to both the Gettysburg farm and Camp David
, prompting one person to call Camp David "an annex to Gettysburg".
The Gettysburg farm provided a few headaches. Democrats
chose the amount of time the Eisenhowers spent at the Gettysburg farm as another way to attack him. Paul M. Butler, head of the Democratic National Committee
, called him a part-time president due to his many stays in Gettysburg. When his World War II
ally Bernard Montgomery
visited the farm, speaking as military commander to military commander Eisenhower commented to Montgomery that he would have fired a subordinate that would initiate Pickett's Charge
, which many Southerners saw as disrespecting the highly-esteemed Robert E. Lee
, causing a protest. When the Soviet Union
's premier Nikita Khrushchev
visited the farm in September 1959, he was so "grandfathery" to the Eisenhower grandchildren that David Eisenhower
said that Khrushchev was such a nice guy, he (David) could become a communist if he did not know better; causing much embarrassment to the Eisenhowers.
The Eisenhowers donated their home and farm (230 acres (93.1 ha) total at the time) to the National Park Service
in 1967, maintaining lifetime living rights for the former president. Two years later, Eisenhower died at the age of 78. Mamie Eisenhower rejected the idea of moving to Washington to be closer to family and friends and, with the United States government allowing it, continued to live on the farm until her death in 1979, although the living area for Mamie was reduced to 14 acres (5.7 ha). The National Park Service opened the site in 1980.
Bulls were raised at the farm. Eisenhower would often poke the rump of a bull with his shotgun
to show what quality of steak the bull would eventually produce, much to the fear of the Secret Service
agents that were protecting him. Once, while barbecuing (something he loved to do on the farm), he made the mistake of announcing which cow he was cooking, as it was the favorite cow of his granddaughter Susan Eisenhower
, and it brought her to tears.
A row of fifty Norway Spruce
trees lines the main driveway leading to the farm. These trees represent the fifty U.S. states, and were given to Eisenhower as birthday presents from each of the state Republican Party
chairmen in 1955. The furthest one from the house was the tree representing Texas
, and it was seen as a mark of Eisenhower's recovery that he was able to make it that far after his heart attack.
The Eisenhowers (especially Dwight in the beginning) spent most of their time in a glass-covered porch overlooking Seminary Ridge
. Reading and playing cards with friends were popular pastimes on the porch, it was said that he would set for hours reflecting on his life and legacy.
In his book The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
, Bill Bryson
said of the site that it was the most fun he could remember having in a Republican household, and described the decor of the house as "1960s Republican". Bryson did express dismay in discovering that the last book such an important man ever read was Zane Grey
's West of the Pecos.
, Christmas and New Year's Day
. The home, grounds, barns and cattle operation are available for public tours. Visitors may reach the site via a shuttle bus which departs from the Gettysburg National Military Park
Visitor Center. The total land area is 690 acres (279.2 ha). Two different films cover the grounds and President Eisenhower's life.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and Mamie Doud Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:...
. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, the farm served as a weekend retreat for the President and a meeting place for world leaders. It was the Eisenhowers' home after they left the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in 1961. With its putting green, skeet
Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports . There are several types of skeet, including one with Olympic status , and many with only national recognition.- General principles :Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where...
range, and view of South Mountain
South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is the northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in Maryland and Pennsylvania. From the Potomac River near Knoxville, Maryland in the south, to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania in the north, the long range separates the Hagerstown and Cumberland valleys from the Piedmont regions of...
, it offered President Eisenhower a much-needed respite from the pressures of Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. It was also a successful cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
operation, with a show herd of black Angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
. Some of the more notable of Eisenhower's guests were Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
, French President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, and California Governor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
History
Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower had a long history with the Gettysburg area. His graduating class from West PointUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
had visited the battlefield in 1915. In 1918 he was assigned to nearby Camp Colt in his first independent command as an army officer, commanding a tank training unit; he and Mamie Eisenhower were newly married.
Throughout his long army career, Dwight Eisenhower and his wife never had a house to call their own, with the couple moving from army post to army post. After he became Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's president in 1948, Mamie requested that they finally have a place to call their own. A married couple that were friends with the Eisenhowers, George and Mary Allen, had recently purchased a small farm around Gettysburg, and recommended the area. In 1950, they found a "run-down farm" on the outskirts of Gettysburg, and purchased the farm and its 189 acres (76.5 ha) for $40,000 (equal to $ today) from one Allen Redding, who had owned the farm since 1921. Eisenhower stated that he could feel the "forgotten heroisms" that occurred on the grounds as the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
When purchased, the 189 acre (0.76485654 km²) included 600 chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s, 25 cow
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
s, and many dilapidated buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Renovation of the property was delayed when Eisenhower became supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. After he had attained the presidency of the United States in 1953, Mamie had him rebuild the old house. Much of the original building had to be torn down, due to its deterioration. The total cost of renovation cost $250,000 (equal to $ today), due partly to Mamie's whims and also to his wanting to appeal to labor unions, meaning he spent $65,000 (equal to $ today) for the union help that had to come from 75 miles (120.7 km) away in Washington, D.C. on a daily basis to construct the farmhouse. In 1955, to celebrate the construction being finished (and it being the Eisenhowers' wedding anniversary), they threw a celebration party, the guests of which included the entire staff of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
; as they didn't want the White House to go unstaffed, the staff went in two shifts, and were forever grateful to the Eisenhowers for including them in the festivities.
From its completion in 1955 to the end of Eisenhower's second term on January 20, 1961, the President spent 365 days total on the Gettysburg farm. The longest of these stays was 38 days, due to recovering from an heart attack he suffered in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in 1955. Afterwards, the Eisenhowers spent most weekends and summer vacations at the Gettysburg Farm, sometimes going to both the Gettysburg farm and Camp David
Camp David
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 60 mi north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont, at an elevation of...
, prompting one person to call Camp David "an annex to Gettysburg".
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
chose the amount of time the Eisenhowers spent at the Gettysburg farm as another way to attack him. Paul M. Butler, head of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
, called him a part-time president due to his many stays in Gettysburg. When his World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ally Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
visited the farm, speaking as military commander to military commander Eisenhower commented to Montgomery that he would have fired a subordinate that would initiate Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
, which many Southerners saw as disrespecting the highly-esteemed Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, causing a protest. When the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's premier Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
visited the farm in September 1959, he was so "grandfathery" to the Eisenhower grandchildren that David Eisenhower
David Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and eponym of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D...
said that Khrushchev was such a nice guy, he (David) could become a communist if he did not know better; causing much embarrassment to the Eisenhowers.
The Eisenhowers donated their home and farm (230 acres (93.1 ha) total at the time) to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1967, maintaining lifetime living rights for the former president. Two years later, Eisenhower died at the age of 78. Mamie Eisenhower rejected the idea of moving to Washington to be closer to family and friends and, with the United States government allowing it, continued to live on the farm until her death in 1979, although the living area for Mamie was reduced to 14 acres (5.7 ha). The National Park Service opened the site in 1980.
Grounds
The decoration and construction plans of the house were dictated by Mamie Eisenhower. At one point, Dwight Eisenhower told the contractor "For God's sakes, just give her what she wants and send me the bill". His main concern was personally mixing the paint to recolor the barn, which had a red coat he thought was hideous, so he painted it a light gray green. Mamie, meanwhile, was delighted in being able to use everything they always had in storage, and decorated more for sentimentality than for aesthetics.Bulls were raised at the farm. Eisenhower would often poke the rump of a bull with his shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
to show what quality of steak the bull would eventually produce, much to the fear of the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agents that were protecting him. Once, while barbecuing (something he loved to do on the farm), he made the mistake of announcing which cow he was cooking, as it was the favorite cow of his granddaughter Susan Eisenhower
Susan Eisenhower
Susan Elaine Eisenhower is a consultant, author, and expert on international security and relations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. She is the daughter of John Eisenhower, and the granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower...
, and it brought her to tears.
A row of fifty Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
trees lines the main driveway leading to the farm. These trees represent the fifty U.S. states, and were given to Eisenhower as birthday presents from each of the state Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
chairmen in 1955. The furthest one from the house was the tree representing Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and it was seen as a mark of Eisenhower's recovery that he was able to make it that far after his heart attack.
The Eisenhowers (especially Dwight in the beginning) spent most of their time in a glass-covered porch overlooking Seminary Ridge
Seminary Ridge
Seminary Ridge is a dendritic ridge which was an area of Battle of Gettysburg engagements during the American Civil War and of military installations during World War II.-Geography:...
. Reading and playing cards with friends were popular pastimes on the porch, it was said that he would set for hours reflecting on his life and legacy.
In his book The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America is a book by travel writer Bill Bryson, chronicling his 13,978 mile trip around the United States in the autumn of 1987 and spring 1988....
, Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
said of the site that it was the most fun he could remember having in a Republican household, and described the decor of the house as "1960s Republican". Bryson did express dismay in discovering that the last book such an important man ever read was Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
's West of the Pecos.
Today
The Eisenhower National Historic Site is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, except for ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, Christmas and New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
. The home, grounds, barns and cattle operation are available for public tours. Visitors may reach the site via a shuttle bus which departs from the Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
Visitor Center. The total land area is 690 acres (279.2 ha). Two different films cover the grounds and President Eisenhower's life.