The Lives We Live -- The Dobbin House  July 4, 2012

     Gettysburg before the battle, and after

On this July 4, it is fitting that we honor those who fought in the Revolution, those who signed the Declaration, and the patriots whose quiet resistance helped to drive the British from this country. The year was 1776, and the world was about to see the birth of a new democratic republic. First under the Articles of Confederation and then under the Constitution, the people of the United States of America have shown the world how democracy can work. It isn't always perfect, but it works. On this Independence Day, I'd like to turn my attention to the people whose lives shape our country. Patriotism certainly moves people to fight and die for a country, but patriotism also informs and drives the everyday actions and interactions of neighbors who make their towns and neighborhoods better.
Locals and frequent visitors to Gettysburg know and love Dobbin House. Located at 89 Steinwehr Avenue, Dobbin House is a restaurant, tavern, bed & breakfast, and gift shop. It is a house that brims with the history of living -- the activities that make a town. Long before Lee, Longstreet, Meade, & Sickles converged in Gettysburg for the fateful battle, people, Americans all, were making a town in Gettysburg. One of those people was Alexander Dobbin, born in Ireland but called to serve as a minister in the Marsh Creek settlement. In the early 1770's, Dobbin served churches in the area and as far away as Greencastle. He was much appreciated since there were few ministers in the area at that time. Dobbin had married while still living in Ireland and fathered a large family. He acquired hundreds of acres in what is now the town of Gettysburg. By 1776, he built the two story stone dwelling that is now known as Dobbin House for his wife and family.

The Dobbin House

Composed of local stone, the house has eleven rooms and seven fireplaces. At each end of the house is a chimney emerging from the gabled roof. Dobbin's house also served as a school, one of the first schools west of the Susquehanna River. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education” and Dobbin strove to do just that. 
Over the years, the house served as a station on the Underground Railroad, and was made famous by photographs in National Geographic magazine of a small concealed room that was used to hide fugitives on their journey north.  This room was probably created during the time that Matthew, the son of Alexander Dobbin who inherited the house, lived in the house during the nineteenth century.  During the Gettysburg battle, the home served briefly as a hospital, as did many of the homes in the area. Thus, in Dobbin House, you see the lives we live, over centuries, as people build, dream, create, teach, stand up for what is right -- and most certainly, cook.

No visit to Gettysburg is complete without a visit to this link to the colonial past. The Springhouse Tavern is located a few steps down into the past. It is dark and lit by candlelight, with both booths and taverns. This is casual dining, with interesting food choices. Couples and families will find the tavern equally charming. Don't miss the Springhouse Spread and Adam's Delight. On a hot humid day, the descent into the cool dark environs of the tavern is amazingly refreshing. However, the visit is equally delightful in winter, and many locals consider a holiday visit to Dobbin House a necessity. Upstairs you'll find the Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms, six different rooms of fine dining.Reservations are suggested for the Dining Rooms.
Locals who need just the right gift often make a hurried stop at the Country Curiosity Store, where you can find everything from creative jewelry to soap, Gettysburg books to country candy.
Parking is available in front, off to the right side, and in a parking lot across an alley in back of the Dobbin House.
http://www.dobbinhouse.com/index.htm

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Other Eighteenth Century Sites in Adams County

In 1794, George Washington really DID sleep at Russell's Tavern, now a private residence on the Goldenville Road, north of Gettysburg just off Route 34. If you are driving north from Gettysburg, turn right onto Goldenville Road. the tavern is a stone residence on the right. A Pennsylvania historical marker gives details.
Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, about 6 miles west of town on Route 116, the Fairfield Road, was built in 1790. Alexander Dobbin is buried in its old cemetery. Although it has been remodeled several times over the years, the stolid stone exterior remains.
Also on the National Register of Historic Places is Conewago Chapel, a historic Catholic chapel located in Edge Grove, Adams County, about 12 miles east of Gettysburg. This beautiful building, also made of brown stone was constructed between 1785 and 1787. It replaced an earlier structure. In the adjacent cemetery, some of the tombstones are dated in the mid-1700's.
http://www.choosepennsylvania.com/basilica_of_the_sacred_heart_of_jesus-sp-4304/
Driving directions can be found at the link above.