1797 Inn Used by Confederate Generals Before Gettysburg
1325 Old Rte 30, Orrtanna, PA 17353
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Single rooms $125/night. Double rooms $255/night. Executive Suite $375/night. Duplex Suite $425/night. All include complimentary breakfast.
Access
Limited Access
Multi-floor 1797 inn, stairs throughout
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1797 · Civil War · Confederate Headquarters · Field Hospital · Pennsylvania Turnpike History
The inn at Cashtown dates to 1797, when the village served as a waystation on the turnpike connecting Gettysburg to the west. The name "Cashtown" reflects the era's practice of requiring cash payment at the toll — travelers coming from the east were accustomed to credit arrangements that the turnpike operators refused.
The Civil War brought Cashtown sudden historical prominence. As Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee moved toward Pennsylvania in late June 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia assembled in the area around Cashtown before their advance on Gettysburg. General A.P. Hill, commanding the Third Corps, established his headquarters at the Cashtown Inn in the days before the battle that began July 1, 1863. Lee himself visited the building during the campaign.
The three-day Battle of Gettysburg produced approximately 50,000 casualties. As the fighting concluded, the Cashtown Inn and surrounding buildings became field hospitals for the wounded, with the inn's basement converted for surgical use. The building's position 8 miles from the battlefield meant it received some of the overflow casualties from Gettysburg's overwhelmed medical operations.
New ownership took over in August 2021 and continued operating the inn's restaurant and accommodations. The Expedia listing shows the property has been receiving guest reviews continuously. Ghost Hunters investigated the Cashtown Inn, and the property has been featured in travel writing about haunted Pennsylvania destinations.
Sources
The Cashtown Inn keeps a guest book where visitors have recorded their experiences, and the entries reflect two categories of reported phenomena: photographic anomalies and EMF equipment responses.
The basement, which served as a field hospital during and after Gettysburg, is where EMF readings have been most consistently documented. Investigation groups working the basement with standard paranormal equipment have logged anomalous readings that do not correspond to identifiable electrical sources in a building of this age and construction.
Photographic reports from the inn span decades, with guests reporting captures of light anomalies in rooms associated with the Confederate officers' occupancy — the areas where Hill and Lee's staff would have worked in the days before the battle.
The proximity to Gettysburg — 8 miles west — is part of the contextual frame that visitors bring to the inn. The battle produced the largest number of casualties of any engagement in American history, and the region around Gettysburg has accumulated one of the most extensive paranormal investigation traditions in the country. The Cashtown Inn is one of the few remaining structures that can document direct Confederate use in the days that decided the battle's outcome.
Ghost Hunters investigated the property, contributing to its national paranormal profile. Guests who stay report awareness of the specific historical weight of the rooms — the knowledge that Confederate generals slept in this inn days before facing Pickett's Charge.
Media Appearances
Seven-room boutique inn built in 1797 in the village of Cashtown, 8 miles west of Gettysburg. Confederate General A.P. Hill and Robert E. Lee used the inn as a headquarters in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg. The basement served as a Civil War field hospital. Complimentary breakfast included; restaurant open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner.
The inn's restaurant offers casual fare on Wednesdays and fine dining Thursday through Saturday, 4pm-9pm. Sunday breakfast is open to the public 9am-12pm. Banquet services available for groups of 10 or more.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
New Hope, PA
The Logan Inn in New Hope, Pennsylvania was established in 1727 by John Wells as the Ferry Tavern, making it one of the five oldest continuously operated inns in the United States. Originally serving travelers crossing the Delaware River, the building was renamed the Logan Inn in 1828 in honor of Chief Logan of the Lenni-Lenape. It now operates as a 38-room boutique hotel with a full-service restaurant.
Saint Peters, PA
The Inn at Saint Peter's Village was built in 1881 in the small French Creek mill village of Saint Peters, Pennsylvania. Restored in the 21st century, it offers six rooms and a suite, with a restaurant, bar, and surrounding shops including an olive-oil store and a winery in the village.
Gettysburg, PA
Built around 1810 by tanner John F. McFarlane and expanded with an 1833 brick addition, the Farnsworth House sits on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg. During the 1863 battle, Confederate sharpshooters occupied the structure, and the south-facing wall still carries 135 bullet holes from Union counter-fire.