President Eisenhower’s Farm – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield is the home and farm of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. This farm was the only home President and Mrs. Eisenhower ever owned. Access to the farm is only by shuttle bus from the Visitor’s Center at the Gettysburg National Park.

The front lane that leads up to the farm is lined with Norway spruce. These trees were a gift to President Eisenhower from the Republican National Committee. Each state donated a tree. After returning from Washington, he asked to be called General Eisenhower.

This is the guest house where famous dignitaries would stay when they visited President Eisenhower at the farm. Our guide mentioned that President Eisenhower would immediately show guests around the farm when they arrived because he was proud of his farm, and he felt the tour would put his guests at ease.

The show barn was home to President Eisenhower’s prize winning Angus cattle.

After they bought the farm in 1951, the house was extensively reconstructed. The remains of a log cabin from the 1700’s was discovered during this renovation, but the logs were so decayed that they had to be removed. They did not move into the house until 1955.

Mamie Eisenhower had been a debutant, and she liked nice things. She enlisted the help of a decorator for the formal rooms, but the guide said President Eisenhower did not share her love of formal things. The guide mentioned that he seldom entered this living room or the dining room. He enjoyed more rustic furnishings. It was interesting that ninety-nine percent of the furnishings in the home are original. Mamie was proud of the family antiques in her home.

The famous portrait of General Eisenhower hung in this room. It is amazing to see something like this in person.

Be still my heart. The chandelier in the dining room took my breath away.

General Eisenhower began painting during his retirement years. His easel and an original painting are in the corner of the sunroom. Other paintings are throughout the home.

This was the President’s bedroom.

This was Mamie’s bedroom. In my opinion, they were polar opposites in their decorating styles.

It has often been reported that President and Mrs. Eisenhower ate on TV trays in the den while watching television. They had to eat in the den. They did not have a breakfast room, and the kitchen was not very large. This fact surprised me.