In the Cupola

This picture was taken in the famed Cupola on top of the Seminary in Gettysburg. It used to be that the public was not allowed to go inside of it, but in July of 2013, the Seminary was converted into a museum, with the Cupola open as a main attraction. We took my mom to the Seminary for her birthday and paid the extra admission fee for the Cupola tour. It was a tour of the entire building, and ended in the Cupola where people had five to ten minutes to take in the scenery. During the first day of fighting at Gettysburg, U.S. General Buford used the Cupola to see enemy troops and to better command his cavalry troopers. After the Union troops fell back to the other side of Gettysburg, the Cupola was used by the Confederates to spot artillery targets. During and after the battle, the Seminary was used as a hospital for wounded troops of both sides. Some years after the battle, the Cupola was struck by lightning and burned down. Another one was reconstructed which is the one that still stands today. From here you can see across the fields where early fighting began on the first day, and to the opposite side is the town of Gettysburg. It has a great view of Gettysburg college, various churches, and other historical buildings found throughout town.