Gettysburg

Postcard circa 1959

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania -- 301 Steinwehr Ave.

Opened in the spring of 1957, the Gettysburg Restaurant began with usual Howard Johnson's fanfare. However the motor lodge which was built in 1959 got off to a litigious start!

Its parcel of land was part of a larger tract which consisted of many residential units. Paul G. and Jean E. Witt owned a home near the proposed Motor Lodge and filed suit to prevent its construction on the grounds that it violated restrictive covenants by which the real estate of Steinwehr Development Corporation was bound. However the court found that there were no restrictions in the Colt Park area that prevented a motel operation, and the case was dismissed at the cost of the plaintiffs.

Photograph circa 1970s: Courtesy of Dan Donahue

Brochures circa 1970s-1990s: Courtesy of Dan Donahue

Above and Below: Gettysburg's gate Lodge was an early A-Frame variety that was "squatter" than later versions. Not long before losing the HJ name in the early 1990s, the Gate Lodge was unfortunately mutilated, but at least it remained standing.