Historic Dobbin House

This historic Pennsylvania structure, the oldest building in Gettysburg, was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. 

As old as the country itself, the Dobbin House has stood on the same Gettysburg soil since 1776. The oldest building in Gettysburg, the Dobbin House was built by Reverend Alexander Dobbin, an Irish-born early frontiersman, minister, and community leader. Dobbin studied at the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow before coming across William Penn’s advertisements of new land and free worship in the New World. 

Dobbin needed a lot of space. He and his wife, Isabella, had 10 children before she passed away. Following Isabella’s death, Dobbin remarried to a widow who brought to the new marriage nine children of her own. In 1774, Dobbin purchased 300 acres just outside of present-day Gettysburg to build a house intended to serve not only as the large family’s home, but as a liberal arts college and seminary. Eventually, Dobbin took over as pastor of the Rock Creek Presbyterian Church in present-day Gettysburg. 

The refurbished wood-and-stone structure is an impeccable example of Revolutionary-era architecture. Plus, it was built over a spring, so the family had indoor fresh water, which was rare for the time. 

In 1809, Dobbin died. His son, Matthew, a passionate abolitionist, was committed to making the house a station on the Underground Railroad. To achieve his goal, he built an addition onto the house with a hidden, 3-foot crawl space between the first and second floors. At night, he would go to the cupboard and give the families seeking freedom directions to the next safe station. 

Today, the site serves as a Colonial-style tavern, serving lunch and dinner. Popular food and drink publications, including “Bon Appétit,” have featured some of the tavern’s favorite recipes.