A new historic (and haunted) site is now open to the public in Gettysburg: the Jennie Wade Birthplace. Well, it’s not “new.” It’s among the oldest surviving residential structures in Gettysburg. However, it’s “new” in that Civil War Ghosts is now offering ghost hunts of the property.
“Wait,” you might be saying to yourself, especially if you’ve ever visited Gettysburg. “Hasn’t Jennie Wade’s house always been open to the public?”
The famed Jennie Wade House Museum, where its namesake was shot, has. It’s also reportedly haunted, but it’s not affiliated with Civil War Ghosts.
But why is Jennie Wade such a big part of Gettysburg’s Civil War history? And what’s the difference between the two homes that bear her name? Let’s explore that before we take a look at Civil War Ghosts’ ghost hunt of the birthplace.
Who was Jennie Wade?
Jennie Wade was a daughter, a sister, and a seamstress. She was also engaged to Corporal Johnston “Jack” Skelly. Although unbeknownst to Jennie at the time of her death, her betrothed, Corporal Johnston “Jack” Skelly, had been wounded and captured. He later died in captivity. (The romantic in me hopes they lived a happily ever afterlife.)
The Historical Marker Database includes a transcription of the plaque outside her birthplace. It sums up Jennie’s significance to the Battle of Gettysburg the best. Essentially, she “was killed by an unknown Confederate sharpshooter, becoming Gettysburg’s only civilian fatality of the fighting.”
That’s a pretty big—albeit unwanted—claim to fame, especially considering the Battle of Gettysburg was the Civil War’s deadliest, with over 50,000 casualties. I think it’s remarkable that her story is remembered and honored like it is.
What’s the difference between the Jennie Wade Birthplace and the Jennie Wade House Museum?
Jennie was in the house on 548 Baltimore Street (the address of the Jennie Wade House Museum) at the time of her death. Although it bears her name, it wasn’t her house. It was her sister’s, Georgia McClellan’s. Jennie was in the kitchen, making more bread to serve to the Union soldiers, when she was shot.
The plaque outside her birthplace explains she was born there in 1843, where she lived until her father moved their family to a new home in 1854.
So, basically, you can now visit both the house where she was born and the one where she died.
Jennie Wade Birthplace Ghost Hunts
“Opening the Jennie Wade Birthplace to the public is an exciting step in bringing Gettysburg’s history to life,” Lance Zaal, the CEO of Civil War Ghosts, said. “We’ve done our best to make the home’s interior appear close to what a civilian household would have looked like around the time of her birth, offering visitors an authentic and immersive experience of early Gettysburg, long before the war.”
As Zaal stated, Civil War Ghosts’ historic tours of the home allow visitors to get a sense of a different era of Gettysburg. Yet, it also bore witness to the battle. If these walls could talk, right?
Well, they might. (Or maybe whisper or scream?) You can find out via the Jennie Wade Birthplace Ghost Hunt.
Tours are offered on Tuesday through Saturday evenings, with two time slots available: 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm. They’re limited to 18 people and last approximately two hours. Tickets are $19 for children and $39 for adults.
The Doll in the Jennie Wade Birthplace
Civil War Ghosts is a subsidiary of our friends, US Ghost Adventures. They were kind enough to share some photos from inside the Jennie Wade Birthplace, one of which was a doll in a high chair.
Immediately, I thought of US Ghost Adventures’ haunted Lily doll. Not that the doll in the Jennie Wade Birthplace looks anything like Lily. She doesn’t. I don’t know if the birthplace doll even has any haunted story or background.
All I know is that I got a bit of a “whoa” jolt upon seeing her. I’ll ask my contact at US Ghost Adventures if she has any info on the doll—and about the haunted happenings within the birthplace. I’ll report back when I get the deets, so keep an eye out for that post.
More Gettysburg Ghosts
Civil War Ghosts offers a variety of Gettysburg tours, ranging from ghostly to non-ghost-oriented. Among their ghost tours, you’ll find the Ghosts of Gettysburg, an Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour “through the battle-scarred streets of Gettysburg,” and a Boos and Brews Haunted Pub Crawl.
If ghost hunting in haunted houses is more up your alley, they do have another option besides the Jennie Wade Birthplace Ghost Hunt: the Historic Welty House Ghost Hunt.
For More Info
Visit https://gettysburgghosts.com.
Check-In
Have you ever visited Gettysburg? Or hunted ghosts in a historic haunted house before?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Dang. I miss living back east. At least we have Billy the Kid days the first weekend in August over in Lincoln.
I have visited Gettysburg, but I didn’t have any experiences. With everything that happened in the area, I don’t doubt people’s stories of ghost encounters or even just feeling a different atmosphere.
I envy that you lived back east, Maria. I’ve lived out west and now in the south, but there are so many cool sounding happenings and places out east I’d love to see and do. BUT Billy the Kid Days sounds pretty cool too. I didn’t even know there was such a thing!
Ooo! You’re so lucky to have seen Gettysburg with your own eyes, Priscilla! Even if you didn’t have any ghostly encounters, it sounds like you still sensed the spirit of the place. That’s what just about everyone I’ve ever known who’s gone has said. It just feels different there and leaves an impression. One day I hope to experience it for myself.
In Lincoln, NM, the first weekend of August, they open up some of the older, preserved buildings and stage reenactments of stuff that Billy did. There are vendors and food. We like visiting there then.
Oooo! That sounds like a hoot! That’s something I’d like to experience IRL one of these days. If I could just win the lottery… lol
Jason Hawes and friends were back in Gettysburg. He posted a roughly half hour intro video before he posts the longer one next week in which he walks through the Jennie Wade house….
And stuff started happening while he was doing that!
Footsteps. Sounds like doors opening.
I think he was a little astonished because he said he’d been there before and not much happened.
Oh that’s crazy interesting! I love that you follow them like you do, Maria. You keep me posted on stuff these days. I’ve lost track of it all. (Been a little lost lately really.) So I’m always glad when you share. If I could, I’d insert a heart and hug emoji here!