First opened in 1804, The Union Hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has, over time, served as a tavern, boardinghouse and small hotel, according to Leslie Trew Magraw, a former National Geographic travel editor who grew up locally. She and her husband, Andrew Johnson, purchased the property in 2019 and set about renovating it room by room.
Completed in July 2021, each of the hotel’s 12 spacious suites offers a living area with sofa, flat-screen TV, and a kitchenette with refrigerator, microwave, Breville espresso maker, coffee maker and assorted local coffees, Nespresso pods, teas—plus a basket of house-made scones and muffins.
The 500-square-foot Abraham Lincoln Suite is the grandest, with tall windows, a living room bar, walnut desk, king-size steel bed, and a luxurious bathroom with heated floors, a walk-in shower and a freestanding tub.
A Union theme runs throughout, with subtle nods to Lincoln in pictures and books. “I wanted to create a convivial place where neighbors gather and strangers become friends,” Trew Magraw says.
We’re sitting at the bar in the hotel’s recently added restaurant, Sign of the Buck (a nod to the building’s original name), sipping on The Thistlefields—a cocktail made with gin, Lillet blanc, lavender, pea flower and Earl Grey tea. Sign of the Buck is open for dinner nightly and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Suite rates begin at $175.
Seasonal events in town include the annual Dedication Day (Nov. 19), commemorating the 160th anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and keynoted by former Gettysburg resident Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Visit the new Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum for immersive exhibits and more than 1,000 artifacts representing the lives of civilians caught in the Civil War’s crossfire.
On a festive note, the historic Majestic Theater will host the Nov. 27 movie premiere of A Gettysburg Christmas, starring Kate Vernon, Lee Majors and Gettysburg itself.
The Union Hotel, 27 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 717-337-1334