Sadly, there are investors who simply do not understand what Gettysburg means to the United States. They want to build a casino in the shadow of this great national landmark …
Of course, the casino’s developers argue that the site they have chosen is not “battlefield” land. What they fail to realize, however, is that historical significance does not stop at the edges of the national park. Roads into and out of town were of huge consequence to the battle. Practically every farmhouse and barn for miles was used as a field hospital for the wounded and dying.
Regardless of how careful and sensitive the developers think their plans are, building a casino at Gettysburg will destroy the town’s character. Poorly managed growth and traffic already plague Gettysburg, and the casino will make congestion worse.
Source: James Lighthizer, president of the Civil War Preservation Trust, in The New York Times