New historical marker to show the location of the long-forgotten site of a Civil War Army camp in Gladwyne
LOWER MERION – A new historical marker is being erected to highlight the location of Lower Merion's only Civil War Army camp.
On Saturday, Nov. 23, at 9 a.m., the Lower Merion Historical Society is inviting the public to a free ceremony at the Philadelphia County Club in Gladwyne to dedicate a new pair of historical markers on the site of the Civil War base that overlooked the Schuylkill River in Gladwyne.
"The dedication will feature dozens of uniformed Civil War re-enactors, including a military band performing period music. As their regimental flags fly, the re-enactors will fire off a musket salute to honor the veterans who spent time at Camp Discharge," according to a press release from the Lower Merion Historical Society.
There will also be remarks made by Jim Remsen and Lower Merion Historical Society board member Brad Upp, co-authors of a book about Camp Discharge, "Back from Battle." Also speaking will be Capt. Bridget Wilby, an Iraq War veteran, who assisted in the book's early research.
Camp Discharge was located on ground now owned by the Philadelphia Country Club and was used by the Union Army from 1864 though 1865 to muster soldiers out of the Army.
Although the general area of the camp was known, its exact location remained a mystery for decades.
When their book was published, Remsen told Main Line Media News that part of the problem with finding Camp Discharge was that over the last 150 years, there really wasn't much interest in it. There were no battles at the camp and no one really famous was at the site. The men who were at the camp were being discharged from the army. After the war, most of the camp's buildings and everything that went with it were dismantled and sold off.
Upp, who first learned about the camp when he was a child in the 1970s, became fascinated with it and wanted to learn more about it.
So, with permission from the country club and the help of the Lower Merion Historical Society, Upp and his co-researcher and co-author, Jim Remsen, eventually found the camp's boundary lines. Through searching the wooded areas behind the country club's golf course, Upp also located places such as the camp's wooden barracks buildings and latrines.
The Philadelphia Country Club owns the Camp Discharge site and has promoted its history. They have also underwritten the cost of the two historical markers.
The dedication ceremony is taking place on a corner of the club's Centennial Course. The markers will be permanently accessible to the public via the wooded Sid Thayer Trail off Martin Lane.
Parking is available at two locations: 1. Park along the street on Martin's Lane/Lafayette Road and follow the signs to walk up the wooded hill from the bend in Martin's Lane. 2. Park at 1601 Lafayette Rd and walk to the Philadelphia Country Club facilities building. Golf carts will be available to take guests to the location. No restrooms are available, and the terrain leading to the event is irregular. The ceremony will be canceled if there is inclement weather.
More information on the site can be found at www.lowermerionhistory.org/camp-discharge.
