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Preservation Virginia has just released their 2014, Most Endangered Sites (in Virginia) List. I am proud to say two battlefields made the list. Bristoe and Williamsburg. Below is the press release. You can keep up with the two battlefields by visiting the following websites. (facebook.com/williamsburgbattlefieldassociation) or (https://www.facebook.com/pwhistoric)
PRESERVATION VIRGINIA ANNOUNCES 2014 MOST ENDANGERED SITES LIST
April 29, 2014
RICHMOND, VA – Preservation Virginia presents its tenth consecutive list of Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Sites to raise awareness of places that face imminent or sustained threats to their integrity or survival. The statewide preservation organization creates the annual listing to bring attention to these properties at risk and to encourage individuals and organizations to advocate for the protection and preservation of Virginia's historic places. Click here for the complete 2014 list and media advisory, images are available upon request.
Each of 2014's 11 sites is listed below, in no particular order, with its significance, a description of how it is threatened, and a recommended solution.
Virginia’s Civil War Battlefields
(Bristoe Station Battlefield and Williamsburg Battlefield)
Significance: The Bristoe Station and Williamsburg Battlefields are just two of the most recent examples of Virginia’s oft-threatened Civil War landscapes, the threats to which are especially worthy of attention during the ongoing Civil War sesquicentennial. The Bristoe Station Battlefield is the site of two significant battles: the August 27, 1862, Battle of Kettle Run, and the October 14, 1863, Battle of Bristoe Station. Various winter encampments took place in this same area, and various cemeteries exist, most still unidentified. Both battlefields have been recognized as among the Civil War's most significant sites by the Congressionally-appointed Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) and its Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. Bristoe Station Battlefield is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources holds a historic easement on the 133 acres that incorporate the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. Locally, Prince William County identifies the current Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park as a County Registered Historical Site.
In 2009, the Update to Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report showed that just three percent of the site of the Battle of Williamsburg was protected; the report also reclassified it as a Level 3 priority, indicating that additional protection was needed. The 2009 study also identified more than 1,000 acres eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Since the early 1990s, more than 2,000 acres of the Williamsburg Battlefield have disappeared, which promoted the Civil War Trust to list the site as “at risk” in 2010. The Battle of Williamsburg was the first major land battle of the Civil War’s Peninsula Campaign. Beginning in spring 1862, this campaign tested the two armies, setting a pace for the remainder of the conflict. By dusk on May 5, 1862, close to 4,000 Americans were dead, wounded or missing. Seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Union soldiers for their actions on this day, also the day the first Confederate battle flag was captured in the War.
Threat: Both battlefield sites are threatened by encroaching development, both immediate and longer term.
Solution: Revisiting the zoning contexts in which these cultural landscapes appear may help to more effectively align the goals of local governments, citizenry, the development community, and historically-minded organizations. Bristoe Station Battlefield has already been identified as the Bristoe Station Historical Area in Prince William County’s Comprehensive Plan; such recognition of the cultural landscape’s importance should inform planning and development decisions to allow for smart development while protecting assets. Likewise, the historical significance of the Williamsburg Battlefield could be addressed through local zoning overlays and comprehensive planning. At Bristoe Station, a proposed cemetery development of 80 acres threatens to destroy a significant portion of unprotected battlefield. The local community should continue to work together toward a solution that will allow for development without destroying this hallowed ground. Overall, community-based solutions are needed to adequately balance landscape preservation with modern development.
PRESERVATION VIRGINIA ANNOUNCES 2014 MOST ENDANGERED SITES LIST
April 29, 2014
RICHMOND, VA – Preservation Virginia presents its tenth consecutive list of Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Sites to raise awareness of places that face imminent or sustained threats to their integrity or survival. The statewide preservation organization creates the annual listing to bring attention to these properties at risk and to encourage individuals and organizations to advocate for the protection and preservation of Virginia's historic places. Click here for the complete 2014 list and media advisory, images are available upon request.
Each of 2014's 11 sites is listed below, in no particular order, with its significance, a description of how it is threatened, and a recommended solution.
Virginia’s Civil War Battlefields
(Bristoe Station Battlefield and Williamsburg Battlefield)
Significance: The Bristoe Station and Williamsburg Battlefields are just two of the most recent examples of Virginia’s oft-threatened Civil War landscapes, the threats to which are especially worthy of attention during the ongoing Civil War sesquicentennial. The Bristoe Station Battlefield is the site of two significant battles: the August 27, 1862, Battle of Kettle Run, and the October 14, 1863, Battle of Bristoe Station. Various winter encampments took place in this same area, and various cemeteries exist, most still unidentified. Both battlefields have been recognized as among the Civil War's most significant sites by the Congressionally-appointed Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) and its Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. Bristoe Station Battlefield is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources holds a historic easement on the 133 acres that incorporate the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. Locally, Prince William County identifies the current Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park as a County Registered Historical Site.
In 2009, the Update to Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report showed that just three percent of the site of the Battle of Williamsburg was protected; the report also reclassified it as a Level 3 priority, indicating that additional protection was needed. The 2009 study also identified more than 1,000 acres eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Since the early 1990s, more than 2,000 acres of the Williamsburg Battlefield have disappeared, which promoted the Civil War Trust to list the site as “at risk” in 2010. The Battle of Williamsburg was the first major land battle of the Civil War’s Peninsula Campaign. Beginning in spring 1862, this campaign tested the two armies, setting a pace for the remainder of the conflict. By dusk on May 5, 1862, close to 4,000 Americans were dead, wounded or missing. Seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Union soldiers for their actions on this day, also the day the first Confederate battle flag was captured in the War.
Threat: Both battlefield sites are threatened by encroaching development, both immediate and longer term.
Solution: Revisiting the zoning contexts in which these cultural landscapes appear may help to more effectively align the goals of local governments, citizenry, the development community, and historically-minded organizations. Bristoe Station Battlefield has already been identified as the Bristoe Station Historical Area in Prince William County’s Comprehensive Plan; such recognition of the cultural landscape’s importance should inform planning and development decisions to allow for smart development while protecting assets. Likewise, the historical significance of the Williamsburg Battlefield could be addressed through local zoning overlays and comprehensive planning. At Bristoe Station, a proposed cemetery development of 80 acres threatens to destroy a significant portion of unprotected battlefield. The local community should continue to work together toward a solution that will allow for development without destroying this hallowed ground. Overall, community-based solutions are needed to adequately balance landscape preservation with modern development.
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