Welcome to the David Wills House – the home of Gettysburg attorney David Wills was the center of the immense clean-up process after the Battle of Gettysburg and where President Lincoln put the finishing touches on his Gettysburg Address, the speech that transformed Gettysburg from a place of death and devastation to the symbol of our nation’s “new birth of freedom.”

In honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday on February 12, 2009, the David Wills House opened to the public, offering visitors a world-class museum experience that tells the story of Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. The museum features six galleries, including two rooms that have been restored to their 1863 appearance: Wills’ office, where he received letters from families looking for loved ones after the battle and began planning for a cemetery and its dedication; and the bedroom where Lincoln stayed and prepared the Gettysburg Address.

The David Wills Story

Wills attended Pennsylvania (now Gettysburg) College, and by 1854 was an attorney and superintendent of Adams County’s schools. Two years later he married Catherine Jane “Jennie” Smyser, and by the summer of 1863 had three children. Wills achieved a variety of accomplishments, such as being appointed president of the Gettysburg Borough Council in 1872, and becoming an Adams County Judge two years later. He also served on numerous boards of directors, including that of the Bank of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Railroad Company.

for more information on operating hours, visiting guidelines and admission rates, please visit https://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/david-wills-house.htm or contact 717-334-1124.