19 August 2014

 

We toured the Shriver house as this is a significant house to history. It was a primary house used by the confederates to sniper on the union troops during the battle but it is also significant that the owner George Shriver is related to Sargent and Maria Schriver connected to the Kennedys through marriage.



 The residence was built in 1860 as the family residence and business of George W. Schriver. George's father was a farmer in the area and owned one of the largest farms in the area. When George's father died he sold the farm and became a businessman. He built this residence as a family quarters but the basement was built and designed as a pub and bowling alley. Mrs. Schriver had an interesting time during the battle. As the battle raged the first day, she feared for the children (Saie, age 7, and Mollie, age 5) so they fled to a farm just south of town and low and behold this is where the main part of the battle of Gettysburg rolled through. It was a miracle they survived. In fact there was only one civilian casuality of the battle and it was a young woman baking bread. They surmise that a bullet had pierced the wall and killed her by accident. Both sides took great pains not to injure or kill civilians and non-combatants.

 All the flooring and stairwells are original floors, doors, and windows but all the furnishings were of the period added later. Here is the living room and the next picture is the master that doubled as the babys room.

 The significant history in this house as to its participation in the battle of Gettysburg is the fact that the house was used in battle. The next two pictures show the attic and the holes that were knocked out next to the big window to keep the profile of the soldiers down to a minimum as they shot at union troops on cemetery ridge just up the road.

 They did a luminol test and it showed blood traces on the floor not visible to the naked eye. This indicates that some soldiers were hit by return fire and most likely died in the process. The white things you see on the floor are the ball and powder loads that were used to load the muskets. These were left by the actors of the battle.

 This was the dining room used by the confederates as a hospital and eating place. YUCK!!!!!

 The basement kitchen which is unusual in homes of this era was used as a surgeons workspace. The kitchen was built here to support the pub and bowling alley which never got used as such. George joined the union army before the pub was to be opened.  The war ended 2 and 1/2 years later.  He survived the war but then died shortly thereafter from scurvy.

 

 This is a picture of the pub. The room is updated some as codes for the building required them. There are no pictures of the bowling alley as the alley was destroyed in later years to add new conveniences such as bathrooms.