Raising the roof: Gettysburg National Military Park nears completion of exterior work on Warfield house; the interior comes next

Finished mortar tuckpointing is on the left wall (NPS photo)

The painstaking restoration of the James and Eliza Warfield farmhouse at Gettysburg National Military Park to its July 1863 appearance is nearing the one-year mark. In recent months, crews installed a cedar shingle roof, put in historic window openings and daubed mortar on exterior masonry walls.

James Warfield, one of many free African-Americans in Adams County, and his family fled as Confederates neared Gettysburg. They were afraid they could be sent south and enslaved. The blacksmith’s home overlooked much of the July 2-3, 1863, battlefield, including the Peach Orchard, and was in the thick of action.

The park acquired the property in the 1970s. By then, it had been modernized and heightened for postwar occupants, losing much of its character and historic footprint.

Work has included the removal of postwar additions, including aluminum siding and side buildings. The home’s height has essentially been chopped in half to its original 1.5 floors, while retaining the original stone walls.

Warfield property before modern additions were removed (NPS)

Jason Martz, a spokesman for the park, recently caught the Picket up on the National Park Service project. He summarized work done in recent months:

-- Non-historic additions to the house were removed

-- A new timber frame roof was constructed and covered with cedar shingles

-- Historic window openings were reestablished and fitted with period correct sashes

-- Unstable masonry walls were repaired and reinforced

-- House foundation was stabilized and waterproofed

-- Exterior masonry walls were tuckpointed using a mortar matching the color and texture of the historic mortar

“The final exterior wall (west wall) to be tuckpointed … is being worked on now,” Martz wrote in an email. “The interior walls in the second floor (half-story) still need final repairs. This will be done once the final exterior wall work is done.

Drawing shows what the house may have looked like during the battle (NPS)

“Once those two steps are complete, the windows will go in and the exterior will be ready for winter. At that point, the interior work can begin. However, no timeline has been established on when or what exactly will be done with the interior. The overall emphasis has been getting the exterior sealed up and made weather-tight for the winter months. “

Martz has said the home, once restoration wraps up, will help the park better tell the story of Gettysburg’s African American community. Warfield had operated two hearths on his 13 acres and “ran one of the best blacksmith stands in the county,” according to the book “African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign.”

Staffers at Gettysburg National Military Park are chronicling the effort through an online page featuring video, photos and an overview of the project.

Work continues on James Warfield house at Gettysburg

Restoration of a home at the core of the Gettysburg battlefield continues, with roof trusses up and foundation and water abatement work completed, park officials said.

The James and Eliza Warfield farmhouse is being returned to its 1863 appearance, says Gettysburg National Military Park spokesman Jason Martz.

Work has included the removal of postwar additions, including aluminum siding and side buildings. The home’s height has essentially been chopped in half to its original 1.5 floors, while retaining the original stone walls. The park acquired the home in the 1970s.

Warfield, one of many free African-Americans in Adams County, and his family fled as Confederates neared Gettysburg. They were afraid they could be sent south and enslaved. The blacksmith’s home overlooked much of the July 2-3, 1863, battlefield, including the Peach Orchard, and was in the thick of action.

Upcoming work includes selection demolition of a modern three-car garage and driveway, Martz told the Picket. Park officials hope work at the farm site is completed later this year so that the site can open to visitors.

Civil War Times recently spoke with Chris Gwinn, chief of education and interpretation at Gettysburg, about the project. Gwinn said officials don't know how many people lived in the tiny residence at the time of the battle.

'Turning back the clock': Gettysburg web page details restoration of James and Eliza Warfield home to how it looked during battle

The home before and after demolition of modern features (NPS photos)

Staffers at Gettysburg National Military Park are chronicling the return of the James and Eliza Warfield farmhouse to its 1863 appearance through an online page featuring video, photos and an overview of the restoration project.

Those visiting the page are getting a behind-the-scenes look at the work, which includes the removal of postwar additions, including aluminum siding and side buildings. The home’s height has essentially been chopped in half to 1.5 floors, while retaining the original stone walls.

James Warfield, one of many free African-Americans in Adams County, and his family fled as Confederates neared Gettysburg. They were afraid they could be sent south and enslaved. The blacksmith’s home overlooked much of the July 2-3, 1863, battlefield and was in the thick of action.

The park recently posted a video giving an overview of the work and showing original features, such as window frames that were covered after the war or made into a doorway.

In the video, Chris Gwinn, chief of interpretation and education, talks with park exhibition specialist Jonathan Holdsworth about how crews are taking the home back to its original two-room footprint. Before demolition of modern aspects began, the home was barely recognizable due to changes and additions made by subsequent owners. Holdsworth explains the sections of the house that are masonry are original, and he points to old beams and plaster walls.

“The biggest challenge we are facing was the method of construction used at the time,” he says in the video. Because there was little or no lime in the mortar, the packed soil “didn’t have a lot of structural stability.” Crews are putting in stronger bonding material and are filling in any wall gaps with infill stones from the park’s stockpile.

The Warfield property as it appeared more than 100 years ago (NPS photo)

Park spokesman Jason Martz told the Picket the first phase of restoration wrapped up near the end of 2019. That included stabilizing the original stone structure, filling in non-historic doorway and window openings and re-creating historic windows where appropriate.

“Once this was accomplished, an outside contractor began to strategically deconstruct the non-historic sections of the house. This included removing the breezeway between the house and the garage, the second and third stories of the house, and multiple add-on sections on the west side of the house. Park preservation staff then added a temporary roof to protect the inside of the historic stone house over the winter months,” he said.

Phase two will begin later this spring. Contractors will remove the front porch, modern structure foundations and the garage. “Park preservation staff will then build the historic second floor and front porch. The driveway will also be removed once all construction work has concluded. Landscaping will then consist of leveling the soil around the house and driveway areas and grass seed will be planted.”

Masons rebuilt this historic window opening (NPS photo)

The park says the Warfield house web page will be continuously updated, with additional photos and a time-lapse video of the project.

Confederate troops occupied the Warfield property on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, and launched attacks against Union troops occupying Sherfy peach orchard.

“The Warfield farm was very close to the fighting on July 2 and 3. Kershaw’s South Carolinians formed there for the attack, and artillery was posted just to the east of the house, drawing Federal counterbattery fire,” reads an article on the website Battle of Gettysburg Stone Sentinels. “Longstreet’s staff may have used the house as his headquarters for a time. Although some wounded were treated there, the buildings were never formally designated as a hospital, possibly because they were so close to the fighting.”

(NPS map)

Gettysburg to restore house occupied by African American family to its 1863 appearance; it was heavily damaged during battle

(Courtesy of Gettysburg National Military Park)

A farmhouse that belonged to an African American blacksmith and was heavily damaged and pillaged during the Battle of Gettysburg will be restored soon to its 1863 appearance.

Gettysburg National Military Park has long wanted to remove postwar additions to the home and funding finally has come through.

“The home that James Warfield and his family lived in at the time of the battle in 1863 is barely recognizable now due to subsequent owners making changes and additions to the original footprint,” park spokesman Jason Martz told the Picket on Thursday.

(NPS map, click to enlarge)

The first phase of work, slated to begin Dec. 2, will focus on demolition of the modern 2^nd and 3^rd floors and a breezeway between the stone house and garage.

Warfield, one of many free African Americans in Adams County, and his family fled as Confederates neared Gettysburg. They were afraid they could be sent south and enslaved.

Confederate troops occupied the Warfield property on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, and launched attacks against Union troops occupying Sherfy peach orchard.

“The Warfield farm was very close to the fighting on July 2 and 3. Kershaw’s South Carolinians formed there for the attack, and artillery was posted just to the east of the house, drawing Federal counterbattery fire,” reads an article on the website Battle of Gettysburg Stone Sentinels. “Longstreet’s staff may have used the house as his headquarters for a time. Although some wounded were treated there, the buildings were never formally designated as a hospital, possibly because they were so close to the fighting.”

The Warfield family returned to find their property heavily damaged and their belongings taken by the two armies. James Warfield calculated his losses at $516. The orchards, gardens and buildings were all badly damaged. Fourteen Confederates were buried in his garden, according to Stone Sentinels. 

Warfield received partial compensation, but moved to Cashtown when he was unable to sell the property. He died in 1875. The park acquired the property in the 1970s.

Drawings show what the house may have looked like during the battle (NPS)

During its restoration, the height of the two-room Warfield home essentially will be chopped in half to 1.5 floors, while retaining the original stone walls. “Restoration work will include re-establishing the original roof line and roof height; stabilizing and reconstructing sections of masonry walls; and recreating missing window and door components,” the park said in a press release.

Martz said the restored home will help the park better tell the story of Gettysburg’s African American community. Warfield had operated two hearths on his 13 acres and “ran one of the best blacksmith stands in the county,” according to the book “African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign.”

D. Scott Hartwig, author and retired supervisory historian at Gettysburg, said: "I find the lives of these individuals to be particularly interesting, since they lived only about five miles from the border of a slave state. The little I have been able to glean from the records about how they got along with their neighbors is, they got on well."