Pictured: Stephen King’s house in Maine. You don’t have to go that far to visit a literary site, though!
I went to a museum in Washington DC more than a decade ago with my now wife. While going through the security screening, I distinctly remember her being much less impressed with the prospect of visiting this particular museum; she was more impressed when someone told her that they filmed a few episodes of NCIS at this location. The point is: some people travel for pop culture, like literature.
A prime example of literature-as-pop-culture: if you are in Maine, some frequent stops include visiting sites related to Stephen King and his books.
Close to home
You don’t have to head to DC or Maine to enjoy sites like these, though. We do have a couple of notable literary spots right here in south-central Pennsylvania! While I was searching for sites to include, I decided that there needed to be some sort of public acknowledgement of why this place was important—a monument, a plaque, a sign. I also decided that the places needed to be at least publicly viewable—probably not too much of a stretch if they are marked. (“Publicly viewable” does not necessarily mean “publicly accessible.” Two places on this list are private residences, so please respect them as such.)
If you travel to all of the stops, from 1 to 5, you will travel around 32 miles. Total travel time will take you about an hour.
Keith L Greenawalt,
DAPL Director
Stop 1: Gettysburg Address.
One of the greatest speeches (and pieces of literature) in American history is, of course, the Gettysburg Address. It only took Lincoln a couple of minutes to deliver, but the words reverberate through the ages. Located within the National Cemetery in Gettysburg is a monument to the address: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Memorial. Dedicated in 1912, this is the only monument in the world dedicated to a speech.
For more information on this memorial, visit https://www.nps.gov/places/lincoln-address-memorial.htm.
Coordinates: 39.8175342,-77.23184444444445
Stop 2: Elsie Singmaster.
Elsie Singmaster was a noted author of novels and short stories in the first half of the 20th century. She is most noted for Swords of Steel, a novel of the battle of Civil War and a 1934 Newbery Honor book. For many years, Elsie lived in Gettysburg on the campus of the then Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, where her father was the president.
There is a marker devoted to Elsie along a one-mile interpretative walking trail which travels through Seminary Ridge and the present-day United Lutheran Seminary campus. The marker is close to the home she lived in on the campus (which is a private residence of the seminary). You can learn more about the Seminary Ridge Museum at https://www.seminaryridgemuseum.org/.
Coordinates: 39.83384236024181,-77.24498027869546
Stop 3: Amelia S. Givin Library.
Located in Mount Holly Springs, the Amelia S. Givin Library is the only library in the area on the National Register of Historic Places. It achieved this honor in 2004. The structure, built in 1889, is known known for its Moorish Fretwork, described as “a machine-made Open Barley Twist molding woven together to form a myriad of lattice-like screen designs.”
You can find out all about the history of Amelia S. Givin Library here: https://www.cumberlandcountylibraries.org/AME_About.
Coordinates: 40.11648572568718,-77.18927270519895
Stop 4: The Craighead House.
Noted children’s author Jean Craighead George is the most famous member of the Craighead family. She won the 1973 Newbery Medal for Julie of the Wolves and was runner-up for the 1960 Newbery with My Side of the Mountain. Jean’s brothers were noted naturalists. Jean spent summers at the house, built in 1886, located along the Yellow Breeches Creek outside of Boiling Springs. A dedicated group of volunteers is restoring the home. For more information, visit https://www.craigheadhouse.org.
Coordinates: 40.147205316274615,-77.17077381241815
Stop 5: Marianne Moore.
Marianne Moore was a noted poet and author who grew up on Hanover Street in Carlisle, PA. She also taught at the Carlisle Indian School for a few years. She would go on to win a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
A state historic marker marks her childhood home on Hanover Street (which is a private residence). You can find out more about Marianne Moore at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/marianne-moore.
Coordinates: 40.206132125310305,-77.18750486698677
Note: This an update of a list which was first compiled in 2022 for DAPL’s social media.
Bonus Stops”