In front of the 1776 Dobbin House Tavern, across the street from Gettysburg National Cemetery, a new outdoor museum and community park is taking shape.
Embedded in stone-clad concrete podiums, engraved displays of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Gettysburg Address now mark the entrance of Dobbin House Square in Gettysburg.
The monuments are part of the national Charters of Freedom project, which brings founding documents into public spaces across the country. A Pennsylvania Semiquincentennial Liberty Bell is being installed in the plaza as the Dobbin House, the oldest structure in Gettysburg, prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in August 2026.
Before those public-facing features could take shape, multiple divisions at C.S. Davidson worked behind the scenes to help prepare the historic site.
Making room for history
C.S. Davidson’s client for the project is Dobbin House Tavern owner Jackie White, whose vision has helped make the property a local landmark for the last 50 years.
“If you met her, you would understand her love for this, for history,” says William (Bill) Pompeii, Senior Project Manager at C.S. Davidson.
The work began with the civil engineering firm surveying the property, originally comprising two parcels in Gettysburg Borough. The Firm prepared a subdivision plan to divide the lot into three parcels and assisted with the permitting process. This allowed for one parcel to be dedicated to the new park.
A historical Victorian house sat on the site intended for the monuments. To enable the project, the structure had to be moved back 85 feet. C.S. Davidson used 3D scanning technology to document the house and foundation, enabling the historic footprint to be recreated.
While another company handled moving the house, C.S. Davidson’s structural team designed its new foundation, made of poured concrete and modern blocks. It is assembled with stone from the original foundation to preserve the house’s character.
Additional stone from the foundation is being used to clad the Charters of Freedom monuments, connecting them to the relocated house and the 1776 Dobbin House Tavern directly behind the monuments.
Designing a park
C.S. Davidson designed the site and the landscape architecture for the park. Bill, a registered landscape architect, says the design process started with understanding Jackie’s vision.
“The biggest thing was sitting down with her and figuring out exactly what she envisioned,” he says.
Jackie wanted the park to feel like a natural extension of the Dobbin House, not a separate attraction. The design uses stone cladding, brick walkways, wooden benches, and historically appropriate landscape elements to tie the new public space to the existing property.
The site’s prominent location also helped to shape its layout. It lies across from Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address to dedicate the site after the 1863 Civil War battle.
Coordinating a tight timeline in a busy location
The project’s technical work came with a fast-paced schedule. C.S. Davidson assisted Jackie with obtaining approvals from the Gettysburg Historical Architectural Review Board as the team worked toward completion in time for the Dobbin House’s 250th anniversary.
“It’s a condensed schedule, less than a year to do it and with a lot of moving parts,” says Chad Clabaugh, PE, Senior Client Representative at C.S. Davidson.
The location provided another challenge. The project sits along a busy corridor in a Borough that welcomes nearly a million visitors each year. The property also includes two restaurants, a bed-and-breakfast, a gift shop, and a mini-museum that recognizes the Dobbin House’s history as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Construction had to be staged carefully, materials had to arrive at the right time, and the site had to remain as functional as possible throughout construction.
“There was a lot of work in a small, little space,” Bill says.
Creating a permanent community site
When complete, Dobbin House Square will serve as an outdoor museum and gathering place for education, reflection, and community events. The Charters of Freedom displays will be internally lighted, and the site will include flagpoles, seating, landscaping, and space for programs.
“It’s not just a normal park,” Bill says.
For C.S. Davidson, Dobbin House Square required detailed planning, modern technology, respect for historic materials, and close collaboration with a client deeply invested in the site’s future. It is the kind of project that has made C.S. Davidson what it is, a firm where engineering, preservation, and purpose come together to build stronger communities.
As the Dobbin House marks 250 years, the new park will help carry history forward while creating a place where visitors can connect with the stories that have shaped Gettysburg.