Thad’s Place

Thad’s Place tells the life and work of national figure Thaddeus Stevens, congressman, abolitionist, and defender of public education. The 815-square-foot free museum houses the letters, newspapers, books, and other documents from the extensive collection of the Thaddeus Stevens Society.

Located across from where Thaddeus Stevens home was, the museum offers a lounge area where guests can watch short videos and enjoy a free bottle of water. There is a research area where people can access hundreds of books and documents on Stevens and Civil War era topics.

Thad’s Place emphasizes Stevens’ dedication to abolishing slavery and promoting equal treatment and equal rights for all. The Thaddeus Stevens Museum, under the leadership of Director Ross Hetrick, also highlights Stevens’ involvement in the local iron industry with artifacts from local iron mills which he owned, including Caledonia Ironworks just a short drive from Gettysburg.

Stevens, known as the most powerful congressman during and after the Civil War, helped to persuade Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, was instrumental in the passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and is the father of the 14th Amendment, which requires equal treatment under the law and extends the Bill of Rights to the state level. He is also known as the Savior of Public Education in Pennsylvania for saving the state’s public education system in 1835. The Thaddeus Stevens Society is a non-profit organization that promotes, preserves, and protects the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens.