Noel KlineThe previous site of General Pickett’s Buffet, located on Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg, was recently purchased by the American Battlefield Trust, which plans on returning the area to its wartime appearance.
For decades, the iconic General Pickett’s Buffet in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, welcomed visitors from around the world to dine overlooking the fields of Pickett’s Charge. When restaurateur Gary Ozenbaugh decided to relocate, he approached the American Battlefield Trust to discuss preservation options for the original site. Our talks produced an agreement: With a $1.5 million campaign to cover the purchase and restoration costs, the Trust would acquire the site and work to integrate it into the adjacent parkland.
Ozenbaugh is to be commended for understanding the values that make Gettysburg unique and the Trust is honored to have helped realize his vision. In seeking a new location just south of the battlefield where his business can expand and thrive, Ozenbaugh is maintaining both an in-demand venue for visitors and his relationships with employees and vendors.
For its part in the project, the Trust applied for a matching grant from the long-standing federal American Battlefield Protection Program. Recognizing the lead time involved in the process, Ozenbaugh agreed for the Trust to take ownership of the land by paying half the cost upfront and submitting the second, interest-free installment the next year. Thanks to generous contributions from many donors, including our partners at the Gettysburg Foundation, we were able to close on the property in mid-December. Fundraising needs remain, especially to underwrite landscape restoration and interpretation efforts, and gifts may be made at battlefields.org/3to1match.
Meanwhile, a restaurant with the same proven team is set to open as an anchor of the Barn Resort, which will take over the Boyd’s Bear complex that has been vacant for over a decade. The vision for the new property was unveiled in September 2022 by owner Brian Smith, who grew up less than a mile from the site.
The preservation of additional land at Gettysburg and a beloved institution thriving in a new location while retaining jobs and accommodating customers represents a true win-win situation for everyone involved. With the purchase at Pickett’s Buffet, the Trust acquired a half-acre that witnessed one of the most climactic moments of the Civil War and that during World War I was used as the headquarters of Camp Colt, where American troops trained in tank warfare. Those troops were commanded by a young Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became enamored with the battlefield and the town. Decades later, during World War II, the site would become a prisoner of war camp for captured German soldiers. After the war, Eisenhower purchased a Gettysburg home and farm that became his retreat from Washington, D.C.
David Duncan is president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Battlefield Trust, which is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds—Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War—and educating the public about their significance.
