Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

[HistoryGeek]

The Greedy developers have done it AGAIN! In Harrisonburg, Va They are tearing done the woods around the Ashby monument! They are going to put in Apartments for JMU! Uh, There's a problem with that! Just slightly! I don't think I could live on ground and be satisfied that had land that men died for a cause on. Well our little Historical Society barely put up a protest!

History Geek
Evan Hunsberger

[Jubilo]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

Dear Sir ,
This is sad news indeed ! Henry Kyd Douglas wrote : " The Valley loved him ( Ashby ) , and loves him yet ."
Perhaps not . Perhaps H.L. Mencken was correct when he said all of the best blood of the South left after 1865 and went to Baltimore and New York .
Good luck in your struggle .
all for the old flag ,
David Corbett

[Slouch]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

That is horrible news! I am a graduate of JMU, lived in H-burg, and frequently visited the Ashby monument. The ground around this monument had changed very little since 1862. Well, I know of one graduate that will NOT donate any money to JMU. I cant believe more people havent tried to fight this. JMU is a PUBLIC institution that is funded by the State, and it is destroying what should be a public site.

Development of historic sites by large commercial establishments (walmart, Target, etc) has so limited my choices in shopping Im afraid I will soon go hungry and naked. Now it is effecting my choice in educators.

[Dignann]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

Personally, I wouldn't be so quick to condemn JMU. I don't believe they have ever disguised their intention for using the property, ever since they bought the land back in 2003. Universities and colleges rarely buy land to preserve it. Education is big business, even if it's a state school like JMU, and expansion is the name of the game. The threat to the property has always been there, as a developer owned the land prior to JMU, if I remember correctly.

There is only one way to preserve land and that is to have a controlling interest in it, such a owning it outright, or owning an easement over the property. Unless those measures are in place, any battlefield land is available for sale and development. We shouldn't be surprised that in growing communities like Harrisonburg, or even Gettysburg (Camp Letterman), undeveloped battlefield land is being consummed. If the land is for sale, where is the preservation community?

Eric

[GASharpshooter]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

We need the housing bubble to go ahead and explode, that should take out most of these moneygrubbin developers.

[Gary of CA]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

I'm glad I visited it a couple of years ago. It's amazing with the collasping housing market that developers still believe that they can make money by building new units. There's a lot of vacant houses all over the nation.

[ACo.]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

With JMU expanding from 16,000 students to 20,000 in the next few years, there will be a need for the new units.

[HistoryGeek]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

With JMU expanding from 16,000 students to 20,000 in the next few years, there will be a need for the new units.

Sadly yes they will have to expand but.... do they have to take out historical land to expand? Just recently I talked to a employee for the city of Harrisonburg and he said that they try to avoid taking up farmland and land of historical significance. I personally think that hes lying! But that's just my opinion.

History Geek
Evan Hunsberger

[ACo.]

Re: Turner Ashby Monument and Greedy Developers

Not making excuses here, but most of the land where the battle took place was built over years ago, especially since Port Republic Road changed course 50 or 60 (or more) years ago - look at maps from the ACW period and compare to modern maps - the road doesn't follow its old course at all, just goes in the same general direction. Up until now, the monument was very secluded and most local people didn't care that it existed or visit any time during daylight hours. Oddly, I didn't hear a whole lot of complaining from people when the monument and the area around it was used as a secluded depository for beer cans and discarded items typical of "lovers' lane". This doesn't mean that I don't feel that the monument and the ground it sits on should be preserved, it should be. I'm sure that this will shake out satisfactorily in the end. Make the Board of Supervisors aware of your feelings, get a petition started.

Oh, and Happy Birthday, JMU. We turned 100 today. (I'm class of '74).