The newly restored Gettysburg Railroad Station once again welcomed tourists when it opened to the public on Nov. 18, 2006; 143 years to the day after Lincoln arrived there to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
Follansbee, W.Va.-based Follansbee Steel provided 5,500 square feet
(511 m2) of red painted TCS II roof, which was very similar to the original, to sit atop the restored building. In addition, 2,700 square feet (251 m2) of Follansbee’s KlassicKolors was selected for the site’s contemporary “train shed,” housing an outdoor exhibit space.
“This is one of the most high-profile historic buildings in the country,” says Dr. Walter Powell, historic preservations officer of the Borough of Gettysburg. “Follansbee comes very close to replicating the original roof. That’s why this product was selected.”
“Our standard coating colors are carefully formulated to replicate traditional and historic roofs,” explained Edward Thomas, vice president and general manager of Follansbee. “The traditional coating colors, as well as the traditional terne metal, make Follansbee an ideal roofing material for historic restorations. The corrosion resistance of the material also helps to protect these landmarks. For this project, TCS II was selected for its superior corrosion resistance and painted red to achieve the original appearance.”
Originally built in 1858 and expanded in the 1880s, the Gettysburg Railroad Station has seen presidents and passengers and even served as a makeshift hospital during the Civil War in summer 1863. Although the last passenger train passed through in 1942, the station has remained a landmark of the Civil War era.
The restored Gettysburg Railroad Station, in development since 1998, will open downtown Gettysburg to tourists, who come annually by the tens of thousands to visit the Battlefi eld and National Cemetery on the outskirts of town. The station will be an information and orientation center with museum-like exhibits that tell the Borough’s story.
The architect on the project was John Milner Architects Inc., Chadds Ford, Pa., and Donald B. Smith Roofing Inc., Hanover, Pa., as the installer. McCoy Brothers, Carlisle, Pa., was the general contractor and Bradco Supply, York, Pa., was the distributor.
