SOLD OUT—History Camp Boston Monthly Outing—Grand Army of the Republic Hall and Museum

The Grand Army of the Republic Hall and Museum in Lynn is one of the last extant buildings in the United States still used for its original purpose — to honor the men who fought to save the Union during the Civil War. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, for its “Significance in Military, Architectural and Social History.”

The hall was erected in 1885 with funds raised by local Civil War veterans as a memorial to the Union Army veterans of the Civil War.  It soon became the largest G.A.R. post in the country with 1,847 members. Post 5 held a position of prominence in the City of Lynn, the Commonwealth and the Nation for many years.

Its crowning glory is the enormous 56′ x 46′ main hall on the third floor, which retains the original furnishings and has walls filled with photos of Civil War veterans. Six more rooms have memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through World War I. The research library has an impressive built-in bookcase, which was designed and built by one of the founding veterans.

We will see exhibits on Lincoln and Grant, the Civil War prisons, letters from home, Civil War medicine, the African American history from Post #5 and much more. There will be lots of stories about the Hall and the men who created it.

Note: There are 44 stair steps to ascend to the Grand Hall and does not have an elevator.

History Camp is a project of the non-profit organization The Pursuit of History. We hope you’ll join us in the pursuit of history.