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Lectern used by Lincoln for Gettysburg Address to go on display

the lectern used by President Abraham Lincoln during one of his most popular speeches, the Gettysburg Address.
The lectern used by President Abraham Lincoln during one of his most popular speeches, the Gettysburg Address, will be on Liberty University’s campus Saturday. The piece was most recently used by Pope Francis at his Independence Hall appearance in Philadelphia last year.

Central Virginia residents will have the rare opportunity to see a piece of American history this weekend at Liberty University — the lectern used by President Abraham Lincoln during one of his most popular speeches, the Gettysburg Address. The piece, most recently used by Pope Francis at his Independence Hall appearance in Philadelphia last year, will be on display for the first time in the region on Saturday at the Hancock Welcome Center as part of a special exhibit for Liberty’s 20th annual Civil War Seminar.

The lectern is part of the J. Howard Wert Gettysburg Collection. Wert, who served as a special scout and guide during the battle and after the war, wrote about Gettysburg’s history in many books and articles. His collection, which remains privately owned, is the oldest collection from the battle.

“This lectern reminds us that freedom is never free, “ said Kenny Rowlette, an organizer for the seminar and director of Liberty’s National Civil War Chaplains Museum. “Liberty University is honored to have this priceless artifact on display for our students, faculty, staff, and their families and friends, as well as the general public.”

The seminar, sponsored by the Department of History, will be held Friday and Saturday in the Hancock Welcome Center banquet room. A banquet will kick off the event on Friday at 6 p.m., with Civil War-era entertainment provided by The McKenzies. Admission is $20 (tickets are available through the Liberty University Ticket Office). Sue Boardman, the banquet’s keynote speaker, will be presenting “Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama, A Picture without Boundaries.” On Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., guests will have the opportunity to hear various lectures from Civil War experts including, “Grant and Lee at the End of the Civil War” and “Grant and Lee after the War,” by Dr. William C. Davis; “PTSD and the Civil War,” by Beth White;  “Reconstruction in Texas,” by Dr. Christopher Smith; and “A Backward Look at Lincoln’s Assassination,” by Kenny Rowlette. There is no cost for Saturday’s lectures and no reservation is required.

While on campus, guests will also have the opportunity to tour Liberty’s National Civil War Chaplains Museum, which opened in 2010 and is located in an outbuilding of the Montview Mansion near the Hancock Welcome Center. The museum is a research facility for those studying Civil War chaplaincy and includes a variety of educational resources on the role of chaplains, priests, rabbis, and religious organizations during the Civil War. Artifacts include items from both Confederate and Union chaplains, as well as the U.S. Christian Commission.

For more information on attending the Civil War Seminar, including discount hotel rates, visit the seminar website.

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