PLEASE READ ENTIRE DESCRIPTION OR SKIP TO THE TICK AND HARMLESS BLACK ANTS WARNING, THANKS IN ADVANCE. We are the only Historic location in Gettysburg that goes out of their way to explain we are not new or shiny. We do not mislead or use deception to have you book with us. We've had hundreds of guests come through and many have been back for third and fourth stays.
PLEASE VISIT OUR FACE BOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HISTORY, PHOTOS, EVENTS "Historic Rainworth Lodge."
***Will accommodate same day booking*** Vrbo forces a 1 day minimum notice to book, not us.
Conveniently located 3 miles from downtown Gettysburg is one of the most unique ways to stay and enjoy Gettysburg. The cabin itself dates back to 1798 "as far as we can trace back as of now." But the history as we know dates back to 1748 when it was originally used as a farm. Later in 1927, famous Hollywood actor and Broadway star, Oscar Shaw purchased the property and constructed a massive addition to the outside of the original cabin. At this time he had the very first in ground pool in Gettysburg installed. In 1940, the son of a famous British naturalist purchased the property. His fathers hunting lodge in Britain is named Rainworth Lodge and this is where our name comes from.
We are located 3 miles from downtown Gettysburg. With almost 3 acres of land, there's plenty of room for small group events to be hosted or enjoy the peace and tranquility a home away from all the bars has to offer. One of the largest homes at 3,100 sq.ft, if not the largest historic home and land in Gettysburg you can reserve exclusively to yourself.
TICK warning. Be mindful there are ticks on the property and all of the northeast united states. Due to the purist in me and my conscious awareness, I will not spray poison in our yard that directly effects all wildlife, please use bug spray of your own choosing if this worries you as you might want to do so enjoying the outdoors anywhere in this region. Us and every historic house i've been to in Gettysburg has black ants that come out throughout the year, regardless of poisoning. We will not poison the lodge, guests, or their furbabies to try to kill harmless ants that pose no threat. We utilize natural repellents that work. But if I'm not able to treat in time, the ants come right back. We have medicinal, edible plants, flowers, berries, and saplings all over this land. Though they may not be flowing or have berries, I will not cut them down for any reason due to confusion or personal expectations. We are starting a food forest and several styles of organic/permaculture/vermiculture/natural/IMO/ no till gardens. We are also adding a mushroom fruiting area inside the lodge. We will start offering donation based education tours summer 2026.
The home is historic and has repairs on the exterior that will be taking place when guests are not here and completed before guests arrive. None of the repairs needed pose any threat to guests, other than to their eyes if they're wanting to see fresh shiny paint, We hope this doesn't ruin anyone's stay inside the lodge. The exterior paint is dirty and has old paint and I hope this doesn't ruin anyone's stay inside the lodge. The windows are also dirty due to high winds, location of lodge, and double spaced style making it difficult to keep clean, again we hope this doesn't ruin your stay inside the lodge. There are areas of soffit that have rotted out, but have nothing to do with structural stability and generations of birds have nested inside for years now. The detached garage is missing half its roof and is restricted to guests, so expect to see that when you pull in. It was supposed to be repaired until funds had to be used to install a new boiler and water heater. The downstairs bathroom has a slope in the floor and will be leveled at a later date. If you have mobility issues, please be mindful of this. Since we're on well water there is scale, water spots, and stains on all water fixtures and tubs that cleaners do not remove, again we hope this doesn't ruin your stay inside the lodge. The fridge and stove are old and have stains. There's no issues with the fridge cooling or freezing and works as should. The oven display is hard to read, so consider it out of service but is safe. Previous guests and ourselves have no issues using it and though it's hard to, you can still see the display to set the temperature for the oven and all it's functions work. We have guests stay throughout the year and cook an entire dinner for 8 to 10+ guests with no issues. I have added a photo of the oven display showing its temp and what to expect. Don't believe every review you read. One of the burners must be lit with a long stem lighter that we provide and if you are someone that needs instructions on how to do so, please contact us and we will explain how to use the lighter. There's the occasional deceased stink bug in a window seal that gets missed since the house does sit till guest arrive after cleanings. At certain times of the year the stink bugs and Japanese beetles/ false lady bugs infiltrate all the homes relentlessly. We apologize ahead of time and we hope this doesn't ruin your stay inside the lodge. Say kind words to the poor babies and leave an offering if you'd like. But the floors and all surfaces that are touched are cleaned and disinfected after every guests. Some of our bed protectors may have stains that have not come out after washing, but this is not an indication they are "dirty," we simply are not wasteful and buy ones because of this. There are fitted sheets over the protectors though and appreciate your understanding. There's also stains on the baseboards that do not come out. Scuff marks on the walls and door jams. I can go on and on with this and once all this is addressed we will change the name to Rainworth Resort. There's no shortage of eye sores for a low vibrating negative beings to see and complain about. The home is historical and we have no plans to change much of it so long as it isn't wood rot or a possible hazard. The home is safe and ready for history buffs to thoroughly enjoy its architecture. The plumbing, hvac, water pressure, and hot water work the same as they would in a new home though! A brand new gas boiler, water heater, and pressure tank were all replaced November of 2024. This has prevented us from doing any repairs in 2025. If you have expectations after reading this description, may you find peace and happiness some day. Have a blessed existence.
We are also honoring all families or guest that may have stories from their time here. If you were one of these individuals, please contact us with any stories you would like to share. We will have a section dedicated to these stories/letters.
• We do not and will not provide paper towels or any other single use wasteful products such as k-pods, sugar packets, condiments, etc... We utilize microfiber cloths instead. Use, wash out, re-use again is how you utilize microfiber cloths.
• This 2 story home has over 3,000 square feet of living area on 2 acres of land.
• Has 4 bedrooms total, 2 primary bedrooms, each with private full baths. The downstairs primary bedroom has it's own full bath to itself. The upstairs bathroom is a shared bathroom.
• Kitchen with full size refrigerator and stove/oven "digital display on oven is hard to read".
• 6 person dining room table and a dining area located on the kitchen side which can accomodate 8 more guests on request.
• A mudroom with exterior door leading to an open lawn area.
• The mudroom can also serve as a 5th bedroom and closes off from the rest of the lodge. It has a wall of windows though with no blinds or curtains.
• The great room is the entire 1800's log cabin with the second floor removed and has two 4 person couches as well as two single chairs as seen in photos.
• Closets are in every room, the 2 primary rooms have separate hers and his closets.
• There is a medium size washroom with an extra large washer and dryer for guest use and complementary detergent for ONE large load of laundry is provided.
CURRENT AMENITIES AND MOBILITY ACCESSABILITY FOR THIS HISTORIC LODGE:
• Very Fast wifi
• New smart tv's with access to all streaming apps in the great room and all bed rooms except for one smaller bed room.
• 7.1 dolby atmos professional theatre system with a 16" subwoofer for events or movie night.
• Central air-conditioning and heat, all rooms have ceiling fans as well.
• 4 fireplaces. None are in working order.
• Full size freezer and refrigerator.
• Gas stove.
• Extra large washer and dryer.
• Closets in all rooms.
• Grab/support bars to get into and out of shower areas.
• Shower chair upon request.
• Detachable shower wand for showering while sitting in shower chair.
Ground floor bedroom with private bathroom, narrow door passages "27 inches max" limiting wheelchair usage. Doors can be removed at request to accommodate your needs and a simple retractable blind can be used to replace the doors.
