During the three-day Battle of Gettysburg, Union and Confederate skirmishers occupied this park area, turning it into a virtual no man's land. Union forces occupied grounds south of here, toward cemetery hill and Confederate forces held positions to the north in many of the town's buildings and homes. Unity Park now stands in the space occupied by the opposing armies, and symbolizes the return of unity and peace to our once warring and divided country.
Unity Park features symbolism from the America Civil War. The statue has been sculpted and case in Pennsylvania, representing the north. The pedestal of the statue was mined from a quarry in Georgia and crafted in the south. There are two paths from the north and two from the south that unite in the center. The park's benches feature customer ends fabricated in the north; while the seat material was manufactured in the south. The park features the flags of the Union and Confederacy with the current flag of the United States in the middle. The boxwood shrubs and flags represent the thirty-six states that composed the Union and the end of the Civil War.
The statue is dedicated to all musicians who served America. The drummer boy was chosen to raise awareness to the many underage boys who enlisted during out nations' Civil War. During this time, the minimum age for a
musician to join the army was twelve; and thousands of young boys served both the North and the South during the conflict.
Unity Park's goal is to educate visitors on the role of music during the Civil War. Music was used by both armies as a vital form of communication and organization. Music was also used to motivate the armies as they went into battle and console them in loss. There are several recorded accounts of how music inspired unity.
Unity begins with "U".
Eagle Scout Project by
Andrew Philip Adam
Boy Scouts of America - Troop 88
New Birth of Freedom Council
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
July 5, 2015
(reverse)
Unity Park
A memorial to American musicians and the many young people from both the North and the South who sacrificed and endured so much for our country.
May their devotion and service inspire and influence future generations of Americans toward unity and peace.
Proudly made in America by Americans with American materials.
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