Seminary Ridge Historic Preservat Ion Foundation

RESTORE, PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN NATIONAL HISTORICAL CIVIL WAR PROPERTIES AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.

THE SEMINARY RIDGE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOUNDATION (SRHPF) WAS INCORPORATED UNDER THE NONPROFIT LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA ON APRIL 29, 1999, TO: "RESTORE, PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN THE NATIONAL HISTORIC CIVIL WAR PROPERTIES, ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL LEGACIES OF SEMINARY RIDGE, AND PROVIDE RELATED EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION OF THESE LEGACIES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC." TO DATE, THE FOUNDATION HAS MORE THAN 8,000 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS NATIONWIDE.THE FOUNDATION'S SPECIAL PROJECT, SEMINARY RIDGE MUSEUM OPENED IN 2013. IN 2020, SEMINARY RIDGE MUSEUM OPENED AN EDUCATION CENTER, REBRANDING AS SEMINARY RIDGE MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER (SRMEC). TODAY, SRMEC FUNCTIONS AS ONE OF SOUTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA'S PREMIERE MUSEUMS AND TEACHING INSTITUTIONS. HOUSED IN THE REHABILITATED GETTYSBURG LUTHERAN SEMINARY (1832), THE MUSEUM FEATURES 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT GALLERIES AND ACCOMPANYING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING WHICH COMPLEMENT OTHER GETTYSBURG ATTRACTIONS. OF THE MUSEUM'S THREE LARGE GALLERIES, ONLY ONE RECOUNTS THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. THE FIGHTING THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED, THE INITIAL COMBAT ON JULY 1, 1863, IS LARGELY UNFAMILIAR TO MOST VISITORS. A SECOND GALLERY ADDRESSES THE BUILDING'S USE AS A MAJOR HOSPITAL, PRESENTING THE LATEST SCHOLARSHIP OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE GETTYSBURG BATTLE AND THE CIVIL WAR. THE FINAL GALLERY ADDRESSES THE RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS THAT WRACKED THE NATION IN THE YEARS BEFORE THE WAR, FOREGROUNDING THE INTELLECTUAL DEBATES OVER SLAVERY AND FREEDOM THAT OCCURRED WITHIN THE BUILDING WHEN IT WAS THE HOME OF THE SEMINARY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEMINARY PRESIDENT SAMUEL SIMON SCHMUCKER'S COMPLEX AND OCCASIONALLY CONTRADICTORY ANTISLAVERY POSITION. THE ISSUE OF RACE ON "FREEDOM'S FRONTIER" IS ALSO EXPLORED THROUGH THE EYES OF GETTYSBURG'S AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. SEMINARY RIDGE MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER WELCOMED OVER 20,000 VISITORS PER YEAR, PRE-PANDEMIC. ATTENDANCE IN 2021 EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AND TOURISM METRICS FOR 2022 INDICATE THAT VISITATION WILL REMAIN STRONG. SINCE 2013, THE MUSEUM HAS OFFERED AN INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATION CURRICULUM UNIQUE IN CIVIL WAR MUSEUMS. ROOTED IN THE AUTHENTICITY OF SPACE EMBODIED BY THE HISTORIC GETTYSBURG LUTHERAN SEMINARY BUILDING, PROGRAMMING ENGAGES VISITORS WITH RELEVANT QUESTIONS ABOUT NOT ONLY THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG AND THE CIVIL WAR, BUT ALSO CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND THE UNFINISHED WORK FOR FREEDOM. PROGRAMS SERVE BOTH LOCALS AND VISITORS TO THE GETTYSBURG AREA, AS WELL AS ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, AND POST-SECONDARY SCHOOLS. PRE-PANDEMIC, SRMEC REGULARLY HOSTED PROGRAMMING FOR OVER 2,000 STUDENTS AND ADULTS PER YEAR. INDICATIONS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS ARE THAT THIS MARKET WILL BEGIN TO RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS IN 2022. IN 2020, SRHPF TRANSFORMED THE MUSEUM'S CHANGING EXHIBIT GALLERY INTO THE LYDIA ZIEGLER CLARE EDUCATION CENTER, OPENING A SIXTEEN-PERSON FLEXIBLE CLASSROOM SPACE WITH THE CAPABILITIES OF ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS ON-SITE AND ACROSS THE GLOBE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE ORGANIZATION ADOPTED A DIGITAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE, A PROJECT WHICH TAKES THE UNIQUE LESSONS AND MUSEUM EXPERIENCE OF SRMEC OUTSIDE OF THE BORDERS OF GETTYSBURG THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCING AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. SRHPF HAS LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE, WWW.SEMINARYRIDGEDUCATION.ORG, AS A HOME FOR THESE DIGITAL VIDEOS, INTERACTIVE LESSONS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER RESOURCES. THESE ENDEAVORS HAVE BEEN FUNDED THROUGH BOTH PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND GRANT FUNDS AND CREATE NEW REACH AND REVENUE STREAMS FOR THE ORGANIZATION. SRHPF HAS SUCCESSFULLY WEATHERED THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SHUTDOWN MANDATES. THE ORGANIZATION WAS SUPPORTED THROUGH SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT AID CONSISTING OF TWO ROUNDS OF PAYROLL PROTECTION PLAN FUNDING (BOTH FORGIVEN), AN ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AND A SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATORS GRANT, ALSO FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC, SRHPF ESTABLISHED AN ENDOWMENT FUND TO HELP ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ORGANIZATION.