HARRISBURG, PA May 1, 1999 - The newly hired executive director of Harrisburg's planned National Civil War Museum is preparing to create the most comprehensive presentation anywhere of the history and experience of the Civil War.

The National Civil War Museum is the brainchild of Harrisburg mayor and Civil War buff Stephen Reed. Mayor Reed has spent the past dozen years and millions of dollars in city funds to buy an estimated 12,000 documents and artifacts. The collection is estimated at a value of $11 million to $16 million. The large collection is important to keep the museum constantly interesting and new.

"This is going to be a world-class museum for a world-class collection," said the museum's new director, George E. Hicks. George Hicks, age 52, has spent over 20 years in the museum profession throughout the country and formerly served as director of the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe, Virginia and the Director of Museum Services for the Atlanta Historical Services. Prior to assuming Chief Executive Officer, Hicks served the Greenwich Worship Inc., the nations foremost fine art publisher, as director of Museum and Historical Services. Mr. Hicks did graduate work under Civil War scholar James I. Robertson Jr. at Virginia Tech and wrote his master's thesis on Mosby's Rangers.

Hicks is committed to telling the very real, very human story of the war on a personal basis to give visitors an idea of what the common soldier experienced. He plans to use a balanced and varied sense of interactive displays and exhibits to give visitors a taste of what it was like to live in those troubled times.

The design for the two-story 65,000 square foot museum was unveiled to glowing reviews from Harrisburg Community leaders. Since coming on board, Hicks has been working with the architects on revising the museum's plans, coordinating exhibits treatment, honoring the storyline and directing the business aspects of the emerging institution. Hand - in - Hand with forging the institution is the challenge of preparing selected items from the collection for public viewing.

"Our collection affords us the opportunity to attempt to treat the scope of the Civil War, a story that noboday else has touched," Hicks comments. "Nobody has taken the national mission except the City of Harrisburg and Mayor Stephen Reed."

"To be asked to bring this out of the ground and deliver the baby, so to speak, is quite an honor and quite a challenge. Each of us involved in the project is proud to be a part of it all."

About The National Civil War Museum

The National Civil War Museum is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information which are directly relevant to the American Civil War of 1861-1865 and the aftermath period of the war as related to Civil War Veteran's service organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic, United Confederate Veterans and the Daughters of the Confederacy to 1920.

The National Civil War Museum
1 Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park
Harrisburg, PA 17103

Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm
Saturday & Sunday 10am to 5pm

Admission
Adults . . . . . . . $7
Seniors . . . . . . $6
Students . . . . . $5
Families . . . . . $20

Contact Information
Debra Lavelle
Director of Marketing
The National Civil War Museum
1 Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 260-1861 ext. 1201