- Y50 -

On September 1 1855 the cornerstone was laid for the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse the same day Peter and Elizabeth Thorn were married. The Thorns who both emigrated from Germany moved into the Gatehouse in February 1856 after Peter was hired as the first caretaker of the cemetery for an annual salary of one hundred and fifty dollars. Unlike many of Gettysburgs notable historic buildings the Gatehouse to this day is still used for its original purpose to house the caretaker of the cemetery. The managers of Evergreen Cemetery decided to grace the entrance way to the cemetery with a unique form of architecture for a small town cemetery.