In the early years of passenger railroading, towns that were on the rail line would build a train station where trains would stop to pick-up and discharge passengers.  One of those towns would be Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  When the Italian Villa style Gettysburg Railroad Station was built in 1858, it operated like any other railroad station.  Passengers waited for the train.  The train came.  Passengers got off and go on.  The train departed the station.

In just a few short years, everything changed.

The American Civil War began in 1861.  On July 1, 1863, the Confederate Army marched north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and there was a three day clash in and around Gettysburg.  During this time, the train station became a hospital for wounded Union soldiers.  When the Confederates were push out of Gettysburg, the wounded soldiers were located to another building, and it began to operate as a train…