Picture 777 Baltimore Street at the north foot of Cemetery Hill, where the Gettysburg Orphanage once opened its doors to war orphans. Once opened in October 1866 and incorporated March 22, 1867, this building began life as the Gettysburg Orphanage and a widows' home founded by Dr. John F. Bourns after fundraising sparked by the identification of a Battle of Gettysburg casualty's children as Amos Humiston's. In 1867 Ulysses S. Grant was photographed with orphans on these steps, and an 1870 Pennsylvania bill helped fund the work here.
The early years were prosperous, but after the original head mistress was replaced by Rosa J. Carmichael the story darkened; Carmichael, described as a cruel disciplinarian, created a dungeon for disciplining children and those tales made the homestead notorious. Later generations repurposed the place as the Soldiers National Museum, once owned by actor Cliff Arquette, who narrated tours of the building and especially of the dungeon. The museum has been closed to the public since November 2014.
Closed since November 2014, the old museum still watches over Baltimore Street as it climbs toward Cemetery Hill, holding its stories for you to imagine.