Evergreen Cemetery Part 12 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny
The McClellan House, on the Gettysburg town square, or Diamond, or Lincoln Square. William McClellan III (1763-1831) was at one time the Sheriff of York County, Pennsylvania. He purchased the Franklin House from James Scott in 1808 and renamed it the McClellan House. This image was taken facing north circa the 1870s, and it is courtesy of Gettysburg National Military Park.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is a retired American History Teacher from Gettysburg High School. She has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1975 and serves on the board of the Evergreen Cemetery Association. She is our host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg's civilian cemetery.
To contact Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny, please click here to reveal her email address.
See the previous parts to the Evergreen Cemetery tour here
In today's post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny discusses Gettysburg resident John McClellan, where Race Horse Alley is, and how it received its name.
This map shows the location of where our Evergreen Cemetery videos were produced. Videos #1-#38 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts. Video #39 was taken on the northwest corner of the intersection of Race Horse Alley and North Stratton Street. Video #40 was taken at Race Horse Alley in the area of the parking garage. Video #41 was taken at the grave of John McClellan in Evergreen Cemetery. This map was created facing north at approximately 3:00 PM on Friday, June 24 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is the host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery. She is standing on the town square. The Gettysburg Hotel, in the background, occupies the site where the McClellan House once stood. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the northwest corner of the intersection of Stratton Street (on the right) and Race Horse Alley (left to right). This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, June 17, 2011.
In Video #39 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the northwest corner of Stratton Street and Race Horse Alley. She explains where Race Horse Alley is located. This view was taken facing north to west to east to west at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the northwest corner of the intersection of Stratton Street (left to right) and Race Horse Alley, which runs "away" from the camera position. This image was taken facing west at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the northwest corner of Stratton Street (right to left) and Race Horse Alley which runs "away" from the camera position. The Gettysburg Fire Station is on the left. Eddie Plank's Garage is on the right. This image was taken facing east at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing at the entrance to the Race Horse Alley Parking Garage. She is pointing to the back of the Gettysburg Hotel. She believes the first two stories of the Gettysburg Hotel were once part of the McClellan House. This image was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
In Video #40 Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing in Race Horse Alley near the parking garage. She explains how Race Horse Alley acquired its name. This view was taken facing southwest to east at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing in Race Horse Alley near the parking garage (out of sight on the left). Stratton Street is in the background running right to left at the stop sign. This image was taken facing east at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
Deb Novotny is standing in Evergreen Cemetery by the graves of John McClellan and his brother George Washington McClellan. There were actually four McClellan sons of William McClellan III (1763-1831): William McClellan IV (1789-1845), Baltzer McClellan, George Washington McClellan (1806-1873) and John H. McClellan (1808-1889). The four McClellan brothers had eight sisters. This image was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
In Video #41 Deb Novotny is standing in Evergreen Cemetery by the grave of John H. McClellan. She discusses his balloon ride in 1842. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
Deb Novotny is standing by the grave of John H. McClellan (1808-1889) in Evergreen Cemetery. John H. McClellan related to a historian writing the History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania in 1886 (page 362) that he received "but limited educational advantages, and began life as a clerk in the bank at Gettysburg, which position he filled for thirty-three and one-third years, one-third of a century. He has been a successful business man, and has recently erected a block of buildings in Gettysburg, which stand as a monument to his enterprise. In 1840 he was appointed treasurer of the county, and served until 1843, when he was elected to the same office. Mr. McClellan is identified with the Presbyterian Church, and is highly esteemed for his excellent qualities. He has never married." He was known as "Colonel McClellan." This image was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday June 17, 2011.
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