Rose Farm 1870's and Now

Gettysburg Greg

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Decatur, Illinois
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This photograph of the Rose Farm taken from near the Wheatfield Road was captioned "1870's" and I believe that may be correct based on the distinct pine tree at the center of the frame. This same tree is seen in a documented 1880's view and is quite a bit taller than what you see here. In my modern view the tree is still there, now the tallest tree on the farm. The stone foundation of the Rose barn is all that remains today. When Kershaw's men passed through the farm, they were under canister fire from Union batteries along the Wheatfield Road. Some of the Confederates, including General Kershaw, later recalled the sound of the canister ball bouncing off the house and barn. One even remembered the dinner bell on the Rose porch being rung by the flying lead.
 
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Great stuff. Not sure that that fir tree is the same tree or a child/grandchild of the first tree. They are too similar in size for 150 years to pass. 150+ year old fir, you are looking at about a yard in diameter :wink:
Someone took a close up pic that shows the tree is bigger than it looks in the pic, I will post as soon as I find it. Also the star looking top is the same in the 1880's photo. Thanks for comment.
 
Great stuff. Not sure that that fir tree is the same tree or a child/grandchild of the first tree. They are too similar in size for 150 years to pass. 150+ year old fir, you are looking at about a yard in diameter :wink:
Still looking for the modern close up of the tree, but this may help clarify the tree question. First, to be clear, the tree in question is the pine tree on the left in the old pic. Notice the unique "tassel" on top in my modern photograph, then check out this photo from the 1880's in which you can see the same shaped tassel. That is why I see it as the same tree. Hope I made my point without sounding argumentative. :D
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You can see the subject tree peeking between the branches from a December shot I took a few years back. This is the only photo I have of that tree. As you can see from the scale of the Rose House, it is a tall tree. Regardless of the witness tree status, it is always enjoyable to see Rose Farm photos. I absolutely worship that property.


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Has anyone actually ID'd the tree species in question? I ask because "firs" - Abies balsamea - are not native to Adams County (or at least not since the end of the Pleistocene) but they are found in small populations in other parts of PA like the Poconos. It seems unlikely that this individual (if, in fact, it is a fir) came to be on the Rose Farm through natural means but on the other hand it seems equally unlikely that the Rose family would have planted it as the planting of ornamental trees didn't really catch on in the rural US until after the war. I'm intrigued.
 
Still looking for the modern close up of the tree, but this may help clarify the tree question. First, to be clear, the tree in question is the pine tree on the left in the old pic. Notice the unique "tassel" on top in my modern photograph, then check out this photo from the 1880's in which you can see the same shaped tassel. That is why I see it as the same tree. Hope I made my point without sounding argumentative. :D
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The white farm house in the new picture ,that is not the same one in the original one is it.?This area is part of the National park or is it privately owned ?
 
Great post, thanks. We have a lot of for here in the Pacific Northwest so it wouldn't be hard to identify the one in the photo, if I were at Gettysburg. Ours tend to be quite tall, but relatively thin compared to cedars, for example. A 150 year old fir would be about 30 to 36 inches in diameter, but that can look deceivingly small. If you can, measure the tree in the photo and estimate its height and let us know.
 
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This photograph of the Rose Farm taken from near the Wheatfield Road was captioned "1870's" and I believe that may be correct based on the distinct pine tree at the center of the frame. This same tree is seen in a documented 1880's view and is quite a bit taller than what you see here. In my modern view the tree is still there, now the tallest tree on the farm. The stone foundation of the Rose barn is all that remains today. When Kershaw's men passed through the farm, they were under canister fire from Union batteries along the Wheatfield Road. Some of the Confederates, including General Kershaw, later recalled the sound of the canister ball bouncing off the house and barn. One even remembered the dinner bell on the Rose porch being rung by the flying lead.
The white house, is that a private home ? It looks as though it was recently built and the land looks as though it also has been farmed. The building in the left corner that looks like a house or building that was demolished except for the remaining sculpture , was it there during the battle ?
 
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