What It’s Like to Tour the Jennie Wade House in Gettysburg, PA

When I visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I find the civilian perspective as interesting, if not more so, than the battlefield history. That’s why the Jennie Wade House tour stood out to me so much. If you’re thinking about checking it out, here’s what the experience was like and why I think it’s worth a stop.

Who Was Jennie Wade?

Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade was a 20-year-old seamstress from Gettysburg and one of six children. Though friends and family likely called her “Ginnie” or “Gin,” a post-war printing error led to her being remembered as “Jennie.”

First Impressions: A House Caught in the Crossfire

The tour started outside the Jennie Wade House, a modest brick duplex built in 1842. (Despite the name, Jennie didn’t actually live here; her sister Georgia did.)

Seeing the bullet holes in the wooden door and brick walls was wild. It’s estimated that the house was struck by nearly 150 bullets during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg.

Inside the House: Where History Hits You

As we entered the parlor, our guide told us that Georgia gave birth to a baby boy at the end of June, and her mother came to stay and help. When just days later, the battle broke out in town, Jennie joined them at Georgia’s house, hoping it would be safer on the outskirts.

Unfortunately, the battle began to move out this way. Since the Wades were known for their patriotism, they baked bread and biscuits for the nearby soldiers, and Jennie brought food and water to the wounded as well.

From the parlor, we moved into the kitchen, where the most tragic moment of the tour is revealed. This was the spot where Jennie was kneading dough early in the morning on July 3, 1863, when a stray 58-caliber bullet tore through both the outer door and parlor door and struck her in the back, piercing her heart. She died instantly.

Her mother had been tending the fire. When she heard bullets slam into the door, she turned to see Jennie collapse. She ran into the parlor shouting, “Georgia, your sister is dead.” Georgia started screaming, and soldiers ran to the house and told them they had to get to the cellar for safety. They wrapped Jennie up in a quilt and carried her with them.

Among the artifacts in the Jennie Wade House Museum is the original kitchen floorboard where Jennie fell after she was shot. The discoloration on the left side is believed to be bloodstains.

Our tour followed the path they took: up the stairs, through the wall (which had been blown open by a ten-pound Parrott artillery shell the previous day), down the stairs, and into the cellar.

Once we crossed through the wall, we were on the McClain side of the house, a family with four young children. It’s believed they were not in the home during the battle.

The tour ended in the cellar, where the family waited out the rest of the battle alongside Jennie’s body. At the time, the cellar was shallower with a dirt floor, and vibrations from the cannon fire would have been intense and constant.

After the battle ended, Jennie was buried quickly in the garden behind the house. A local cabinetmaker donated a Confederate officer’s casket for her. She still had bread dough and flour on her hands. Six months later, the family held a proper service, and she was reburied in the German Reformed Church cemetery. After the war, they were finally able to purchase a plot at Evergreen Cemetery, where she was laid to rest for the third and final time.

Final Thoughts

Walking through the Jennie Wade House, seeing the bullet holes, and hearing her story made the Civil War feel much more personal. It’s easy to think of war in terms of strategy and soldiers, but Jennie’s story is a reminder of the everyday lives (and losses) caught in the middle.

If you’re ever in Gettysburg, I highly recommend touring the Jennie Wade House. And if you like quirky attractions, don’t miss Civil War Tails (A Cat-Themed Gettysburg Diorama Museum).

Jennie Wade’s Gravesite

The gravesite isn’t part of the official tour, but visiting it helped bring the story full circle for me, and it’s just a short drive from the Jennie Wade House Museum. Jennie was the only direct civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg and is buried near her sweetheart, Jack Skelly. A monument marks her resting place, and a U.S. flag flies there year-round, an honor shared by only one other woman: Betsy Ross.

While You’re In The Area