Ike and Mamie Eisenhower's Getysburg Farm

When President Eisenhower's term as President ended he and his wife, Mamie, bought the 189-acre farm in Gettysburg for $40,000 in 1950. It came with 25 cattle and 600 chickens. The seven-room fixer-upper farmhouse was mostly gutted and rebuilt in 1955.

Below is a photo of the barn which served as a garage and other storage for the equipment to operate the farm. 

The Secret Service office is the small room attached to the side of the barn as pictured below. 

The tour starts in the Living Room with a guide who explained that it is furnished mostly with gifts like porcelain birds from Queen Elizabeth and a coffee table from the wife of Syngman Rhee, president of South Korea during the Korean War.

 

The fireplace mantle was in the East Room of the White House when Abe Lincoln was president.

Marble mantles had not been popular and this mantle went to the White House basement storage. Then President Arthur auctioned off 22 wagon loads of unused White House furniture when he was in office and this mantle was purchased by a private individual.
Friends found it under a porch in Georgetown and brought it for the Eisenhower's 38th anniversary. Additional details of items in the living room below.

 

 A curio cabinet in the hall contains sentimental things that Mamie had always had to keep in storage while they were in the White House.   Does anyone reading this remember those little porcelain statues of the Presidents and First Ladies?

 After the initial tour of the living room we were free to tour the remainder of the house and property on our own.  Below is the family room where Ike, Mamie and family members spent a lot of time. Notice the easel with a painting on it - Ike took up oil painting while at the farm.

 Mamie had one 'live in' maid who's room included a bedroom/workroom as well as laundry with this cool old sewing machine!

The bedroom and Mamie's sitting room.

The kitchen was actually rather small even though we were told one of Mamie's goals while redoing the old farm house was to create a 'large' kitchen for Ike because he loved to cook.

Ike's office leads us outside and from there a walk down the path to the cow barn and the new calves born this year.  Returning to the house we see the Greenhouse that Mamie loved and the B-B-Q pit that Ike loved!  Ike's bell with the presidential seal on it and the Putting Green with the 5 star General's flag.

 

 

 The farm also had it's very own gas station!!  How convenient right?

As we leave the farm there is a little fountain (that was not running) but was still pleasant to see as well as the flowers and the  curving drive lined with beautiful blooming trees.

 

 All in all a nice little visit. 

 More on Gettysburg yet to come :) 🐾🐾🌷🌷