Yesterday the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted against granting a license to a corporation that proposed to build a casino in Cumberland Township, near the Gettysburg National Military Park. Opponents of the casino plan had argued that the proposed casino would irrevocably alter Gettysburg's character and detract from the Park's efforts to provide an authentic and immersive historical experience at the nation's most famous Civil War battlefield. Disappointed proponents of the casino plan lament a missed opportunity, arguing that the project would have brought jobs and additional tourist dollars to Gettysburg and Adams County. Spared from having a casino in their midst, it appears that Gettysburg residents will have to make do with the myriad chotchke shops and Civil War memorabilia hawkers that, unlike a casino, apparently add to the authentic and immersive experience that the Park earnestly strives for.
Seems like there's a spectrum... shops selling Civil War kitsch are at least more connected to the meaning and history of the place, and people can buy stuff which directly informs or inspires them about the history.
A casino's connection to the history of Gettysburg (not to mention its general effect on the community) is a lot more dubious.
Thanks for the comment, Russ. I agree that the potential impact of a casino is much more dubious than the existing, often tacky, shops selling kitsch. And casino opponents were perceptive in their concern that a casino might bring added development pressures that could further alter the landscape and the community. In comparing the casino to memorabilia businesses that have grown up around Gettysburg, I hope to encourage people to think about the intersection of commercial tourism and historic preservation and to think about the inherent difficulties in defining and preserving an "authentic" and educative historical experience. Your comment shows just that kind of serious thought about these issues.