The Evolution of Gettysburg's "Common School"
In 1834 Gettysburg established a "common school" to provide its children with a free elementary education, which over the years evolved into the current Gettysburg Area School System.
Following 23 years of classes being held in multiple private dwellings, the first consolidated public school building was erected on E. High Street in 1857, and began a 100-year tenure of classroom service.
During the battle, the school building served as a hospital while its bell shared the cupola with a fugitive Union soldier who successfully hid from the occupying Confederate forces.
In the mid 1880s the public school curriculum was expanded to include a secondary education program. Over a span of thirty years, The Meade School (1897), the Lincoln School (1926) were erected to accommodate Gettysburg's rapidly growing population of students.
When the present Area School format replaced the county's local school systems, the Gettysburg Area High School was added to this site in 1962 and the Baltimore Street School building was remodeled as the Area Junior High School.
Marker is at the intersection of Baltimore Street (Business U.S. 15) and Lefever Street, on the right when traveling north on Baltimore Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
