History of
The Brighter Tomorrows Center
224-228 Baltimore Street
Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center (ACCAC) is developing the 1863 Victorian, with two-story addition, totaling 5,630 square feet, located at 224-228 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, as a welcoming space for Adams County community members: The Brighter Tomorrows Center. The project preserves the historic character of the Civil War Era Queen Anne Victorian while rehabilitating the structure.
The Brighter Tomorrows Center is located within the Gettysburg Historic District, on the east side of Baltimore Street, the south side of East Wall Alley and the west side of Schoolhouse Alley. The Center is open to the public 250+ days each year and is located in close proximity to other public buildings serving the community, such as the Gettysburg Public Library, the Adams County Courthouse, several churches, and numerous retail and office spaces.
The building consists of a three-story Victorian (224 Baltimore Street) with a two-story addition (228 Baltimore Street), totaling 5,630 square feet. The building consists of masonry brick foundation with a painted brick façade and portions of wood paneling. The pitched portions of the roof consist of asphalt shingles and the flat portions of the roof are rubber. The main entrance to the building is located along Baltimore Street. The interior of the building consists of mainly plaster/sheetrock walls with some areas of painted and exposed brick. Most of the ceilings are plastered. Today, the Victorian side of the building maintains much of its original woodwork, floors, fireplace surrounds, stairwells, etc.
The three-story brick Civil War era Victorian was constructed in 1863 as a private residence. Sometime between 1863 and 1886 stables were erected on the east side of the parcel. At some point between 1891 and 1896 a small addition was made to the northeast corner of the Victorian. Between 1902 and 1961 no major changes were made to the structure.
Between 1961 and 1984, it is believed that the building was utilized for private residences and alternatively as professional office space, lastly as a doctor’s office and residence. In 1984, the building was purchased for use as a real estate office, and in 1985 the two story addition (228 Baltimore Street) was constructed. From 1985 to 2014 the building was utilized as office space on the first and second floors. At some point the second floor was converted to apartments, along with the third floor. In 2014, the building’s first floor became The Dime Museum, with apartments on the second and third floors. In October 2021, the building was purchased by Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center.
The Future of 224-228 Baltimore Street &
The Brighter Tomorrows Center
Desperately in need of more space for services, ACCAC envisions 224-228 Baltimore St. as the CAC’s forever home: The Brighter Tomorrows Center. When renovations are completed, the larger facility will nearly double ACCAC’s capacity to provide services to children and families (advocacy, forensic interviews, medical exams, trauma therapy and support groups), while also providing the space for onsite MDIT Case Review, training, and community-based child abuse prevention education activities. Because “it takes a village”, the Center will also promote community collaboration by offering the use of meeting/training space to other community organizations.