Reverend Alexander Dobbin purchased 300 acres within Gettysburg and the surrounding areas in 1774. Dobbin was a Scots-Irish Presbyterian minister and educator. He became one of the most influential people in Gettysburg at the time.
Dobbin built the house in 1776 as both a house and a Classical School. The school taught a combination liberal arts and theology. It later became a part of the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves. It also was a hospital for Confederate and Union soldiers after the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
It is the oldest structure in Gettysburg. The house is now a restaurant and tavern that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historical Marker Inscription
Built in 1776 by the Rev. Alexander Dobbin. In use for some 25 years as one of the first classical schools west of the Susquehanna River. It is now a museum refurnished in keeping with the early period.
Location
89 Steinwehr Ave, Gettysburg, PA 17325
39° 49.352′ N, 77° 13.951′ W
Historical Markers of the World 