Unexploded ordnance found at Gettysburg National Military Park

GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania (WHTM) — Gettysburg National Military Park announced Wednesday, Feb. 8 that it has found an unexploded Civil War-era shell.

According to the park The shell was found inside the Little Round Top rehabilitation project area. Southwest corner of Little Round Top.

According to park officials, the device dates from 1863 and weighed about 10 pounds and was about 7 inches long.

The shell was disposed of Wednesday by the 55th Ordnance Disposal Company team at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The team gently washed the shells and removed them before destroying them off-site.

The area and local roads were closed Wednesday afternoon due to the discovery of the device, but have since reopened.

The park is nearly seven months into a nearly two-year project to restore Little Round Top. The project includes replacing the overgrown boardwalk and restoring the area around the Little Round Top Monument.

All of Little Round Top, adjacent to Wheatfield Road, Crawford Avenue, Warren Avenue, Sykes Avenue, and the 20th Main Monument have been closed since late July for a $13 million restoration project.

According to Gettysburg National Park, the Little Round Top rehabilitation project “addresses congested parking, poor accessibility and associated safety issues, significant erosion, and vegetation degradation.”

area known as little round top It was the site of a “fierce battle” between Union and Confederate forces on July 2, 1863.

The area was known for the large boulders that provided shelter for soldiers and the steel slopes that helped the Union army claim victory at Gettysburg.

Gettysburg National Park has also regained popularity Devil’s Den Landmark Increase trail surface, add grippy granite steps and add green space.

The Devil’s Den is closed from March to late September 2022 as part of rehabilitation.