York Building Products Block Used at Gettysburg National Military Park

A recent York Building Products MagnumStone project at The Little Round Top Visitor Use Area in the Gettysburg National Military Park features an innovative application of our MagnumStone retaining wall product, blending structural engineering with aesthetic preservation for the historic area.

The initial design featured a granite boulder wall in an ashlar pattern, reinforced with geogrid. The updated design incorporated MagnumStone units to complement the historical and natural setting of the battlefield, while also reducing reliance on the more costly and less readily available granite.

The fractured rock texture of MagnumStone made it an acceptable visual substitute for granite boulders. After installation, the wall was stained to mimic the color of natural granite, ensuring consistency with the battlefield’s aesthetics. The wall had a maximum height of 11’ including embedment.

To achieve the desired appearance on the parking lot-facing side, the top of the wall was projected above grade, providing a surface on which to apply natural stone veneer and granite caps.

The use of MagnumStone not only met the design and engineering requirements, but also maintained the visual integrity of the Gettysburg National Military Park’s historic setting.