Prince of Peace History
Early History and Building the Church
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The first Episcopal Church in Adams County, Christ Church in York Springs, was formed by the gathering of a small group of members of the Church of England in 1747. By 1870, its membership had dwindled, and, in 1875, its ministry passed to Prince of Peace, then a small missionary gathering in Gettysburg.
During the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1st-3rd, 1863), the property where our current church building is located was the home of David McCreary, a harness maker. The published memories of his son, Albertus, recall what he and his family experienced during the battle, including an interrupted meal later shared with both Union and Confederate soldiers. The Union soldiers had been captured while seeking shelter on the upper floors of the house.
In the early post-War years, Gettysburg’s episcopal congregation comprised only a few families who met temporarily in an abandoned Methodist chapel and in the Adams County Courthouse. In 1876, they built a small wooden chapel at the corner of Stevens and Carlisle Streets, opposite the Gettysburg College Campus, but prepared to build a permanent church.
In 1880, under the leadership of the Rev. A. Emile Tortat, the congregation decided to build their church as a memorial to the soldiers of the Civil War. The Rev. Tortat began a nationwide fundraising campaign, soliciting the veterans of the Civil War and their families to place memorials in the future church. As an offering of thanks for peace and reconciliation, they welcomed memorials for both Union and Confederate soldiers.
Construction of the church began on July 2nd, 1888 with the laying of a cornerstone during the 25th anniversary reunion of Battle of Gettysburg veterans. While thousands of memorials had been anticipated, only about 150 were purchased leading to delays in construction. In July of 1900, the building finally opened with 13 families, 33 baptized persons, 25 communicants, and 15 members of the Sunday School.
1970-2000
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In January 1970, two major events marked the history of the Parish. First, the congregation became a self-supporting parish. Later that month, a major fire gutted the church. Thankfully, the Bell Tower, which contains many of the original memorial plaques and a stain-glassed window depicting Christ and the Children were untouched by fire. Reconstruction of the rest of the church was completed in the Spring of 1971.
In 1990, Prince of Peace began a soup kitchen ministry that was officially incorporated as the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen (GCSK) in 1995. GCSK now serves more than 10,000 meals annually.
In 2000, the parish completed a renovation and expansion that added a classroom, meeting space, choir rehearsal room, a small chapel, and a memorial garden. A breezeway was built along the south side of the church and an adjoining building (housing the parish’s fellowship hall, Stahle Parlor) was linked to the church in an enclosed Narthex.
2001-Present
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By 2002, the parish had grown to 425 members and was designated a “Jubilee Center” by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania for its ministries of justice, service, and compassion. More recently, the parish formed a Social Justice Response Team, focusing on issues such as climate change and hunger.
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In 2010, Prince of Peace purchased the former Roman Catholic Church’s rectory located across the alley from the church. Renamed Peace House, it now houses the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen and a quiet space for our meditation group.
In 2013, during the 125th anniversary of the laying of the church’s cornerstone, it was discovered that a number of the Civil War memorial plaques had been ordered but never made. These, along with a few that had been ruined in the 1970 fire, were created and placed around the nave.
Prince of Peace completed a major renovation in 2022. Chairs replaced pews and the altar, organ, and pulpit were placed on movable bases to allow easy reconfiguration for church-based and community programs. New flooring includes a Labyrinth (patterned after one in the Chartres Cathedral in France) for individual and group contemplative prayer.
The Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace remains the only church in Gettysburg built specifically as a memorial to the soldiers of the Civil War.
