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APVA Preservation Virginia Announces the 2008 Endangered Historic Sites List
May 13, 2008
2008 Endangered Sites Program
In 2000 APVA Preservation Virginia, recognizing the threats to cultural resources from neglect, abandonment, inappropriate growth and development pressures, introduced its Most Endangered Historic Sites program. It was realized that an annual listing of the sites considered to be most endangered would serve to raise awareness of the threatened historic, archaeological and cultural resources throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia thereby giving communities a tool to build support on a local level for the conservation and preservation of these irreplaceable resources.
The following is the list of the 2008 Most Endangered Sites in Virginia. Please note they do not appear in ranked order:
Arcola School in Loudoun County
The Lee Shopping Center in Arlington County
Mill Mountain in the City of Roanoke
Jolly Pond Dam in James City County
Rural Places throughout Virginia
Elliston in Montgomery County due to the proposed construction of an intermodal facility
Southside Virginia, including Surry, Southampton, Sussex, and Prince George counties, for the Navy's Proposed Outlying Landing Field
Archaeological Resources in Developing Areas
The Arcola School, built in 1939 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, was the first multi-room public school in Loudoun County and remained an active school until 1972. From 1977 until early 2006, the building served as the county’s first community center. The County plans to demolish the building within the next six years in order to reconstruct the site to accommodate the rapid growth that is taking place in the county. The Arcola Community Center Advisory Board would like to see the building returned to the Parks and Recreation division in order to be used once again as a Community Center given the desperate need for childcare as well as preschool options for residents of the area.
The Lee Shopping Center was originally designed in 1941 to complement the adjacent garden apartments of Lee Gardens. Its construction was held up by World War II and it was redesigned in 1949, following the same footprint. The Lee Shopping Center buildings are contributing structures in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District. The County is currently conducting a survey of all historic buildings to create a Historic Resource Index as the tool to implement the recently adopted Historic Preservation Master Plan. The Lee Shopping Center was rated Essential, the top of four possible categories. Only three other commercial districts achieved that status.
A developer has proposed to buy the Lee Shopping Center, on the condition that the County Board approves a change in the General Land Use Plan, a change in the zoning, as well as an insensitive site plan that proposes consolidating the site with a contingent non-historic commercial site. As a result, the Lee Shopping Center would be demolished to build a mixed use project of four and five storey apartment buildings with retail businesses on the first floor.
The Arlington County Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, Arlington Heritage Alliance, APVA Preservation Virginia, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Recent Past Preservation Network, the Art Deco Society of Washington, and local Arlington County residents have spoken and written in support of saving this significant site.
Arlington County has a commitment to being "green," although it has not been persuaded that destruction of a viable and historic solid masonry building far outweighs the "green" aspects of a new replacement building. Local preservation advocates think approval of the demolition of the Lee Shopping Center, a significant historic building, will set a bad precedent for other historic commercial districts in Arlington.
Mill Mountain is one of the few mountains in the nation located within a city. The City of Roanoke owns and operates the 639-acre Mill Mountain Park on and around the top of the mountain. Zoned for recreation and open space, this popular destination offers picnic facilities, walking trails, two scenic overlooks with views of much of the Roanoke Valley, a 6-acre children’s zoo, and a Discovery Center with educational exhibits focusing on the environment. The famous illuminated Mill Mountain Star was erected by merchants more than 50 years ago.
The threat to the mountain is a proposal by Valley Forward, a new organization of young professionals who want to build a Rockledge Center with a restaurant, coffee shop, community and meeting rooms.
Opponents, including the Preservation Foundation, the Mill Mountain Conservancy and many individual residents contend that the proposed project would remove a number of large trees, take up much space for parking and bring a commercial flavor to the park. They point out that the initial Rockledge Inn closed for lack of business. No developer has publicly expressed an interest in the project.
The Mill Mountain Conservancy said Roanoke's Mill Mountain Management Plan and the city's comprehensive plan do not allow a restaurant or additional parking area but the plans do speak of the strong public sentiment for keeping the mountain natural.
The Jolly Pond Dam dates to the American Revolutionary period. Sited near a documented free black settlement, it was likely built by slave labor and has remained in continuous use without physical change since 1782. Milling operations continued until the 1900's. Ruins of the old mill have never been excavated and the original wagon road at the top of the dam is now used as a part of Jolly Pond Road.
In 2007 the Virginia Dam Safety Office determined the dam needed to be brought to current specifications by removing all vegetation, grass, trees, roots, etc. from the dam within 150 to 200 yards. The Safety Office further determined the dam must be widened at least 20 feet, slopes changed, and embankments covered in riprap, totally altering the environment surrounding it. The current owner of the dam wants future generations to experience the unspoiled beauty of this special place.
Virginia is known for her historic places and breathtaking landscapes. But, the pressures to sustain our current way of life are taking their toll on Virginia's Rural Places. This is a critically important consideration when one realizes that the leading industry in the Commonwealth is agriculture/forestry and the second is tourism.
Almost on a daily basis, media headlines reflect the impact of uncontrolled growth, transportation needs and concerns about national security. Increased truck and automobile traffic threatens many areas of the Commonwealth resulting in either an increased burden on already existing roadways or the call for creating new or widening existing highways, such as Interstate 81. The proposed widening of I-81 would destroy developed land; prime farmland; between 1600 and 2400 residences, and 1238 acres of Civil War battlefields with a potential adverse impact on tourism, Virginia's second-ranking industry.
Initially, it appeared that an intermodal facility to be constructed in Elliston in eastern Montgomery County, which would serve as a transfer point for freight shipping between trucks and rail, would remove some of the truck traffic from I-81 but now Norfolk Southern officials state that will not be the case. This intermodal facility is part of a larger multi state freight rail improvement project referred to as the Heartland Corridor Initiative. The facility would be constructed by Norfolk Southern with support from the Federal Highway Administration, the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the states of West Virginia and Ohio.
Another threat that has emerged to battlefields is the unprotected, private land within them that could potentially be sold for development. Such is the case with the Manassas National Battlefield.
Viewsheds are also threatened. Proposed for the western horizon of the Central Shenandoah Valley is a wind powered, electric generation facility consisting of 131 turbines each 440 feet high. Eighteen miles of ridgeline will be affected and as many as 500 acres disrupted.
The Navy is in the process of reviewing five site locations for a proposed new outlying landing field (OLF) to support carrier air wing aircraft at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk. Three of these potential sites are located in rural Southside Virginia and could impact multiple historic sites and landscapes in Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and Prince George counties. Potential threats include degradation of historic structures by excessive vibration, noise pollution, and the loss of thousands of acres of rural landscape. For instance, Southampton County is home to 58 Century farms and leads the state with such Century Farm designations.
APVA Preservation Virginia is committed to working with local governments and like minded preservation groups to ensure that if a Virginia site is selected for a proposed outlying landing field that the Navy works diligently to protect the historic resources and landscapes that would be negatively impacted.
The final designee to the list of Most Endangered Historic Sites is Archaeological Resources in Developing Areas. Because of its long and rich history, Virginia has many sites of archaeological interest, both historic and pre-historic. Often these sites are unknown until construction activity turns up obvious evidence of prior use. Once disturbed the stories these sites can help tell are lost forever. It is not just the artifacts that come out of the ground, but the context in which they are found that are important. Thus sites of potential archeological value need to be systematically identified and investigated before they are disturbed.
Some counties and municipalities have enacted local ordinances to require prior identification and appropriate protection of archaeological sites prior to initiating development. More localities, particularly those experiencing rapid growth, need to extend protection to such sites.
APVA Preservation Virginia by its mission is committed to help protect these endangered sites and to ensure the vitality of all of the Commonwealth's historic and cultural resources for the enjoyment and betterment of future generations.
Contact Elizabeth Kostelny, APVA Executive Director at (804) 648-1889 x306 or by e-mail at ekostelny@apva.org; Louis Malon, APVA Director of Preservation Services, at (804)648-1889, x307 or by e-mail at lmalon@apva.org; or Terry Graham, APVA Program Manager at (804) 648-1889, x314 or by e-mail at tgraham@apva.org for additional information regarding these significant sites and how you can help to protect them for future generations.
Press Contact:
Tina Calhoun
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
APVA Preservation Virginia
204 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804-648-1889 x. 316
tcalhoun@apva.org
Found online at: http://www.apva.org/pressroom/press_...e.php?pr_id=71
May 13, 2008
2008 Endangered Sites Program
In 2000 APVA Preservation Virginia, recognizing the threats to cultural resources from neglect, abandonment, inappropriate growth and development pressures, introduced its Most Endangered Historic Sites program. It was realized that an annual listing of the sites considered to be most endangered would serve to raise awareness of the threatened historic, archaeological and cultural resources throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia thereby giving communities a tool to build support on a local level for the conservation and preservation of these irreplaceable resources.
The following is the list of the 2008 Most Endangered Sites in Virginia. Please note they do not appear in ranked order:
Arcola School in Loudoun County
The Lee Shopping Center in Arlington County
Mill Mountain in the City of Roanoke
Jolly Pond Dam in James City County
Rural Places throughout Virginia
Elliston in Montgomery County due to the proposed construction of an intermodal facility
Southside Virginia, including Surry, Southampton, Sussex, and Prince George counties, for the Navy's Proposed Outlying Landing Field
Archaeological Resources in Developing Areas
The Arcola School, built in 1939 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, was the first multi-room public school in Loudoun County and remained an active school until 1972. From 1977 until early 2006, the building served as the county’s first community center. The County plans to demolish the building within the next six years in order to reconstruct the site to accommodate the rapid growth that is taking place in the county. The Arcola Community Center Advisory Board would like to see the building returned to the Parks and Recreation division in order to be used once again as a Community Center given the desperate need for childcare as well as preschool options for residents of the area.
The Lee Shopping Center was originally designed in 1941 to complement the adjacent garden apartments of Lee Gardens. Its construction was held up by World War II and it was redesigned in 1949, following the same footprint. The Lee Shopping Center buildings are contributing structures in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District. The County is currently conducting a survey of all historic buildings to create a Historic Resource Index as the tool to implement the recently adopted Historic Preservation Master Plan. The Lee Shopping Center was rated Essential, the top of four possible categories. Only three other commercial districts achieved that status.
A developer has proposed to buy the Lee Shopping Center, on the condition that the County Board approves a change in the General Land Use Plan, a change in the zoning, as well as an insensitive site plan that proposes consolidating the site with a contingent non-historic commercial site. As a result, the Lee Shopping Center would be demolished to build a mixed use project of four and five storey apartment buildings with retail businesses on the first floor.
The Arlington County Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, Arlington Heritage Alliance, APVA Preservation Virginia, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Recent Past Preservation Network, the Art Deco Society of Washington, and local Arlington County residents have spoken and written in support of saving this significant site.
Arlington County has a commitment to being "green," although it has not been persuaded that destruction of a viable and historic solid masonry building far outweighs the "green" aspects of a new replacement building. Local preservation advocates think approval of the demolition of the Lee Shopping Center, a significant historic building, will set a bad precedent for other historic commercial districts in Arlington.
Mill Mountain is one of the few mountains in the nation located within a city. The City of Roanoke owns and operates the 639-acre Mill Mountain Park on and around the top of the mountain. Zoned for recreation and open space, this popular destination offers picnic facilities, walking trails, two scenic overlooks with views of much of the Roanoke Valley, a 6-acre children’s zoo, and a Discovery Center with educational exhibits focusing on the environment. The famous illuminated Mill Mountain Star was erected by merchants more than 50 years ago.
The threat to the mountain is a proposal by Valley Forward, a new organization of young professionals who want to build a Rockledge Center with a restaurant, coffee shop, community and meeting rooms.
Opponents, including the Preservation Foundation, the Mill Mountain Conservancy and many individual residents contend that the proposed project would remove a number of large trees, take up much space for parking and bring a commercial flavor to the park. They point out that the initial Rockledge Inn closed for lack of business. No developer has publicly expressed an interest in the project.
The Mill Mountain Conservancy said Roanoke's Mill Mountain Management Plan and the city's comprehensive plan do not allow a restaurant or additional parking area but the plans do speak of the strong public sentiment for keeping the mountain natural.
The Jolly Pond Dam dates to the American Revolutionary period. Sited near a documented free black settlement, it was likely built by slave labor and has remained in continuous use without physical change since 1782. Milling operations continued until the 1900's. Ruins of the old mill have never been excavated and the original wagon road at the top of the dam is now used as a part of Jolly Pond Road.
In 2007 the Virginia Dam Safety Office determined the dam needed to be brought to current specifications by removing all vegetation, grass, trees, roots, etc. from the dam within 150 to 200 yards. The Safety Office further determined the dam must be widened at least 20 feet, slopes changed, and embankments covered in riprap, totally altering the environment surrounding it. The current owner of the dam wants future generations to experience the unspoiled beauty of this special place.
Virginia is known for her historic places and breathtaking landscapes. But, the pressures to sustain our current way of life are taking their toll on Virginia's Rural Places. This is a critically important consideration when one realizes that the leading industry in the Commonwealth is agriculture/forestry and the second is tourism.
Almost on a daily basis, media headlines reflect the impact of uncontrolled growth, transportation needs and concerns about national security. Increased truck and automobile traffic threatens many areas of the Commonwealth resulting in either an increased burden on already existing roadways or the call for creating new or widening existing highways, such as Interstate 81. The proposed widening of I-81 would destroy developed land; prime farmland; between 1600 and 2400 residences, and 1238 acres of Civil War battlefields with a potential adverse impact on tourism, Virginia's second-ranking industry.
Initially, it appeared that an intermodal facility to be constructed in Elliston in eastern Montgomery County, which would serve as a transfer point for freight shipping between trucks and rail, would remove some of the truck traffic from I-81 but now Norfolk Southern officials state that will not be the case. This intermodal facility is part of a larger multi state freight rail improvement project referred to as the Heartland Corridor Initiative. The facility would be constructed by Norfolk Southern with support from the Federal Highway Administration, the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the states of West Virginia and Ohio.
Another threat that has emerged to battlefields is the unprotected, private land within them that could potentially be sold for development. Such is the case with the Manassas National Battlefield.
Viewsheds are also threatened. Proposed for the western horizon of the Central Shenandoah Valley is a wind powered, electric generation facility consisting of 131 turbines each 440 feet high. Eighteen miles of ridgeline will be affected and as many as 500 acres disrupted.
The Navy is in the process of reviewing five site locations for a proposed new outlying landing field (OLF) to support carrier air wing aircraft at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk. Three of these potential sites are located in rural Southside Virginia and could impact multiple historic sites and landscapes in Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and Prince George counties. Potential threats include degradation of historic structures by excessive vibration, noise pollution, and the loss of thousands of acres of rural landscape. For instance, Southampton County is home to 58 Century farms and leads the state with such Century Farm designations.
APVA Preservation Virginia is committed to working with local governments and like minded preservation groups to ensure that if a Virginia site is selected for a proposed outlying landing field that the Navy works diligently to protect the historic resources and landscapes that would be negatively impacted.
The final designee to the list of Most Endangered Historic Sites is Archaeological Resources in Developing Areas. Because of its long and rich history, Virginia has many sites of archaeological interest, both historic and pre-historic. Often these sites are unknown until construction activity turns up obvious evidence of prior use. Once disturbed the stories these sites can help tell are lost forever. It is not just the artifacts that come out of the ground, but the context in which they are found that are important. Thus sites of potential archeological value need to be systematically identified and investigated before they are disturbed.
Some counties and municipalities have enacted local ordinances to require prior identification and appropriate protection of archaeological sites prior to initiating development. More localities, particularly those experiencing rapid growth, need to extend protection to such sites.
APVA Preservation Virginia by its mission is committed to help protect these endangered sites and to ensure the vitality of all of the Commonwealth's historic and cultural resources for the enjoyment and betterment of future generations.
Contact Elizabeth Kostelny, APVA Executive Director at (804) 648-1889 x306 or by e-mail at ekostelny@apva.org; Louis Malon, APVA Director of Preservation Services, at (804)648-1889, x307 or by e-mail at lmalon@apva.org; or Terry Graham, APVA Program Manager at (804) 648-1889, x314 or by e-mail at tgraham@apva.org for additional information regarding these significant sites and how you can help to protect them for future generations.
Press Contact:
Tina Calhoun
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
APVA Preservation Virginia
204 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804-648-1889 x. 316
tcalhoun@apva.org
Found online at: http://www.apva.org/pressroom/press_...e.php?pr_id=71