Okay, this is an unusual feeling. I'm typing with one hand and holding my little granddaughter with the other. Melody is sleeping nice and peaceful in Opa's arms. It's been many a year since I held a little one :-)
During the Battle of Gettysburg Union Gen Meade set up his headquarters in the farmhouse owned by Lydia Leister. Her husband had passed away in 1859 and she bought the the house in 1861. She temporarily vacated the house just prior to the start of battle and when she returned found 17 dead horses in her yard and the house quite punctured by shot and shell.
Gettysburg, Pa. Headquarters of Gen. George G. Meade on Cemetery Ridge
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Americana Souvenirs & Gifts #98536 Meade's HQ
I had read some interesting reviews about Americana's toys and kits in Amazon.com. Many of them are from frustrated parents trying to cobble together these things and I have to sympathize with them. The kits are made of a flexible, but fairly sturdy polyvinyl plastic. Their biggest drawbacks are the flash, warped parts, and awkward joinery methods. The kits don't require glue and just when you get two walls together and try to get that third wall on, the first two walls fly apart! arrrrgh!! Trying to get the tabs on the walls to securely lock into the slots on the roof panels can be problematic as well and you may end up with broken tabs.
Okay, with equal parts patience, luck, and skill my HQ went together just fine. There are some separations in the walls as a result of warping and perhaps the old method of immersing the part in hot water, straightening it, then dunking it in ice water would help but I didn't feel like doing that. When assembled it measures 8 3/4" (22.2cm) W x 7 1/4" (18.4cm) D x 7" (17.8cm) H.
These kits from Americana are really terrific additions to the miniature Civil War landscape and can certainly be used for other types of displays as well. They are tricky to assemble and may not stand up to the rigors of child's play but for a dioramist or casual player they're just fine. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
Meade's HQ alongside Americana's Dunker Church.
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