McPherson Ridge

McPherson Ridge
Middle Ridge
Gettysburg Battlefield monuments on McPherson Ridge (north-northeast view) include the
1899 John F. Reynolds equestrian statue.[1]
Highest point
PeakNorthernmost point: Saddle Point at Oak Ridge near
the intersection of Reynolds, and Wadsworth Avenues.[2]
Geography
Map
Location1858 Dustman Barn[4]
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyAdams
Township &
NPS unit
Cumberland and Gettysburg NMP
Range coordinates39°50′13″N 77°15′05″W / 39.8370°N 77.2514°W / 39.8370; -77.2514[2]
Parent range"outcrop of the Gettysburg sill"[3]
Borders onWilloughby Run, Oak Ridge and Pitzer Run

McPherson Ridge is a landform used for military engagements during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, when the I Corps of the Union Army had a headquarters on the ridge and was defeated by the Confederate division of Major General Henry Heth.[5] The ridge has terrain above ~530 ft (160 m) and is almost entirely a federally protected area except for township portions at the southern end and along Pennsylvania Route 116, including a PennDOT facility. The northern end is a slight topographic saddle point on the west edge of Oak Ridge, and summit areas above 560 ft (170 m) include 4 on/near the Lincoln Highway, a broader summit south of the Fairfield Road, and the larger plateau at the northern saddle.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Davis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Google Maps (Map). (The terrain map shows the summits and unprotected areas, and the barn's coordinates are the significant digits from the 4 corners' "ll=" lat/lon values in Google hyperlinks.)
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hopkins was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stackpole was invoked but never defined (see the help page).