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Chad Greene posted this story on Facebook today and I read it with great interest. The gist of the article is that there are some in the local government who would like to make it an NPS site. What do you think? Would this be good or bad for Perryville?
Perryville Battlefield National Park: McKinney, Kirchner Explain Why It's a Good Idea
PERRYVILLE — The benefits of a Perryville Battlefield National Park are numerous and diverse, says Boyle County Judge-Executive Harold McKinney.
On a tour Friday, McKinney shared his vision for the battlefield and what it might mean for the city of Perryville, the county, the state and even the nation if it does become a national park.
Gesturing grandly at the park’s beauty and historical significance, McKinney, who has likened it to an “unpolished dime,” said “this place would not only make us proud, it would make the nation proud.”
Almost immediately, McKinney addressed concerns he’s heard from re-enactors, who have voiced some opposition to the idea of seeing the two-day re-enactment in October moved to nearby location if the battlefield does become a national park. He also addressed fears from some that a national park designation would alter the ways local families enjoy the park.
“We want to provide for the re-enactors. We want to have that place to re-enact,” said McKinney. “Now how we solve that, we’re not clear right now, but we want a place for the re-enactment. We want a place for families to have picnics. That’s just not going to go away.”
McKinney said historic preservation and longevity are the most obvious benefits if the site is designated a national park, but also noted the economic impact on Perryville.
“You talk about an economic driver, it would be a huge economic driver,” said McKinney. “This could really help efforts to enhance downtown Perryville because it will generate some industry and some good things going on.”
He added that the vitality of Perryville might very well depend upon capitalizing on “its greatest asset.”
“You can’t be static,” said McKinney. “You either grow or you die. If you think you’re going to stay the way you are for the next 50 years, it’s just not going to happen. Organisms in life either grow or they die. It’s just that simple. It’s the law of nature. All you have to do is walk through Perryville and look at what’s not there anymore. The furniture store is not there anymore. It probably sustained Perryville in many, many ways because people would come in there and spend money. You’ve got to have something else. You’ve got to figure out what your strength is.”
The first stop on the tour of the battlefield was at the top of the hill near the back entrance of the park on Hayes Mays Road. McKinney pointed out the pristine beauty of the 360-degree view of the area and painted an enticing picture of a visitors center on the hillside.
“Just imagine a visitors center right here,” he said animately. “On the first floor would be your typical visitors shop and information. On the second floor could be a restaurant and then on the third floor could be a 360-degree open area where children could touch on the interactive glass and see the battle unfold before them. Imagine that! They could then move over to another area with a different view, touch the glass and see another aspect of the battle unfold before their eyes. It would be incredible.”
McKinney said it would be a draw for school children from across the state and even from other states, noting once again the national significance of the site.
Almost on cue, a family from Cincinnati visiting the battlefield stopped to chat with the judge and said they thought the national park idea was an excellent one, one that would entice them to travel back to Perryville for another visit. Another family from Florida, who made a stop at the battlefield on their way to Louisville, echoed the sentiment.
To become a national park, the battlefield would have to be designated as such by an act of Congress, and the legislation to do so occurs like any other piece of legislation.
And it would take years.
McKinney said the first step would be a federally-funded, five-year study to determine the feasibility and sustainability of the project, whether the park is being properly maintained, and most importantly, the significance of the site.
“It’s clearly feasible. It’s clearly sustainable and it’s clearly significant. They have done an excellent job in keeping the park maintained as best they can, but the state is just not in a position to maintain it as it could be maintained,” said McKinney, adding that the federal dollars that would funnel into the park and the surrounding area would have a positive impact.
“The state has done a really good job of pointing out the significant points throughout this battlefield,” said McKinney. “They’ve done a really nice job, but it’s expensive to maintain.”
Jennifer Kirchner, executive director of the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, emphasized that the project is long-term and still a long way down the road, with many details yet to be ironed out.
“The strategy of making the battlefield into a national park is a long-term plan that provides longevity to the park, the preservation of the park and will contribute to the economic vitality of the park and downtown Perryville,” said Kirchner on Saturday. “It’s very important that the citizens of Perryville are very informed and knowledgeable, and that they understand the advantages to having this happen. We’re concerned with everybody still using the park and enjoying it the way they always have. We think there is a compromise in providing for the park to be sustainable for the future, while still preserving it for the people of Perryville.”
Kirchner echoed McKinney’s comments that it will be difficult to sustain the park in the future, considering the financial situation at the state level.
“For the future of Kentucky state parks, funding is not there like it used to be,” said Kirchner. “Funding for the parks in the 1970s is very different from what it is now. So, we’re just trying to look to the future of how our children and how our grandchildren and their grandchildren can still enjoy the park because those funds are drying up. If there’s no money, there’s no park, no matter how much we love it.”
Like McKinney, Kirchner said the federal funding would not only help maintain the longevity of the park, but provide many benefits to the “gateway” city of Perryville, including roads and other infrastructure that would enhance the economic vitality of the community, “all the while maintaining the history.”
“There’s a lot of research done on the economic impact for gateway communities,” said Kirchner. “Over $15.5 billion was just added in 2013 into the gateway communities (near national parks), and that was when parks were shut down. So you really see an influx of tourism dollars, of jobs and of the preservation of history, which is what we all care about, and what is really important.”
Kirchner said, from a tourism perspective, this is a” huge win” for not only Boyle County, but for the entire region and for the state of Kentucky.
“A lot of money would come in from the federal government for signage, for advertising,” said Kirchner. “We would be put on national maps, and we would become a place where people would stop on their summer vacations. That matters.”
To those who fear the area would lose its pristine character, McKinney said one of the primary goals of the national park program is to preserve the land and the unique qualities of a site.
McKinney has said it will take some time for a project of this magnitude and importance to come to fruition, but is the first to say that Perryville and Boyle are blessed to have a treasure of such significance.
“How many counties have a site of national significance in them?” said McKinney. “Not very many. Let’s not let this opportunity go awry. I mean, it’s a no-brainer.”
More than 7,000 acres in and around Perryville are designated as a National Historic Landmark, recognized by the United States government for “its outstanding degree of historical significance.”
The actual battlefield site, which sits on nearly 1,000 acres and includes an interactive museum and visitors center that opened in 1962, currently averages about 100,000 visitors per year.
Article From Central Kentucky News:
http://m.centralkynews.com/amnews/news/local/boyle/perryville-battlefield-national-park-mckinney-kirchner-explain-why-it-s/article_441b425a-33b7-11e5-8d9f-cbbf04a9c01c.html?mode=jqm
Perryville Battlefield National Park: McKinney, Kirchner Explain Why It's a Good Idea
PERRYVILLE — The benefits of a Perryville Battlefield National Park are numerous and diverse, says Boyle County Judge-Executive Harold McKinney.
On a tour Friday, McKinney shared his vision for the battlefield and what it might mean for the city of Perryville, the county, the state and even the nation if it does become a national park.
Gesturing grandly at the park’s beauty and historical significance, McKinney, who has likened it to an “unpolished dime,” said “this place would not only make us proud, it would make the nation proud.”
Almost immediately, McKinney addressed concerns he’s heard from re-enactors, who have voiced some opposition to the idea of seeing the two-day re-enactment in October moved to nearby location if the battlefield does become a national park. He also addressed fears from some that a national park designation would alter the ways local families enjoy the park.
“We want to provide for the re-enactors. We want to have that place to re-enact,” said McKinney. “Now how we solve that, we’re not clear right now, but we want a place for the re-enactment. We want a place for families to have picnics. That’s just not going to go away.”
McKinney said historic preservation and longevity are the most obvious benefits if the site is designated a national park, but also noted the economic impact on Perryville.
“You talk about an economic driver, it would be a huge economic driver,” said McKinney. “This could really help efforts to enhance downtown Perryville because it will generate some industry and some good things going on.”
He added that the vitality of Perryville might very well depend upon capitalizing on “its greatest asset.”
“You can’t be static,” said McKinney. “You either grow or you die. If you think you’re going to stay the way you are for the next 50 years, it’s just not going to happen. Organisms in life either grow or they die. It’s just that simple. It’s the law of nature. All you have to do is walk through Perryville and look at what’s not there anymore. The furniture store is not there anymore. It probably sustained Perryville in many, many ways because people would come in there and spend money. You’ve got to have something else. You’ve got to figure out what your strength is.”
The first stop on the tour of the battlefield was at the top of the hill near the back entrance of the park on Hayes Mays Road. McKinney pointed out the pristine beauty of the 360-degree view of the area and painted an enticing picture of a visitors center on the hillside.
“Just imagine a visitors center right here,” he said animately. “On the first floor would be your typical visitors shop and information. On the second floor could be a restaurant and then on the third floor could be a 360-degree open area where children could touch on the interactive glass and see the battle unfold before them. Imagine that! They could then move over to another area with a different view, touch the glass and see another aspect of the battle unfold before their eyes. It would be incredible.”
McKinney said it would be a draw for school children from across the state and even from other states, noting once again the national significance of the site.
Almost on cue, a family from Cincinnati visiting the battlefield stopped to chat with the judge and said they thought the national park idea was an excellent one, one that would entice them to travel back to Perryville for another visit. Another family from Florida, who made a stop at the battlefield on their way to Louisville, echoed the sentiment.
To become a national park, the battlefield would have to be designated as such by an act of Congress, and the legislation to do so occurs like any other piece of legislation.
And it would take years.
McKinney said the first step would be a federally-funded, five-year study to determine the feasibility and sustainability of the project, whether the park is being properly maintained, and most importantly, the significance of the site.
“It’s clearly feasible. It’s clearly sustainable and it’s clearly significant. They have done an excellent job in keeping the park maintained as best they can, but the state is just not in a position to maintain it as it could be maintained,” said McKinney, adding that the federal dollars that would funnel into the park and the surrounding area would have a positive impact.
“The state has done a really good job of pointing out the significant points throughout this battlefield,” said McKinney. “They’ve done a really nice job, but it’s expensive to maintain.”
Jennifer Kirchner, executive director of the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, emphasized that the project is long-term and still a long way down the road, with many details yet to be ironed out.
“The strategy of making the battlefield into a national park is a long-term plan that provides longevity to the park, the preservation of the park and will contribute to the economic vitality of the park and downtown Perryville,” said Kirchner on Saturday. “It’s very important that the citizens of Perryville are very informed and knowledgeable, and that they understand the advantages to having this happen. We’re concerned with everybody still using the park and enjoying it the way they always have. We think there is a compromise in providing for the park to be sustainable for the future, while still preserving it for the people of Perryville.”
Kirchner echoed McKinney’s comments that it will be difficult to sustain the park in the future, considering the financial situation at the state level.
“For the future of Kentucky state parks, funding is not there like it used to be,” said Kirchner. “Funding for the parks in the 1970s is very different from what it is now. So, we’re just trying to look to the future of how our children and how our grandchildren and their grandchildren can still enjoy the park because those funds are drying up. If there’s no money, there’s no park, no matter how much we love it.”
Like McKinney, Kirchner said the federal funding would not only help maintain the longevity of the park, but provide many benefits to the “gateway” city of Perryville, including roads and other infrastructure that would enhance the economic vitality of the community, “all the while maintaining the history.”
“There’s a lot of research done on the economic impact for gateway communities,” said Kirchner. “Over $15.5 billion was just added in 2013 into the gateway communities (near national parks), and that was when parks were shut down. So you really see an influx of tourism dollars, of jobs and of the preservation of history, which is what we all care about, and what is really important.”
Kirchner said, from a tourism perspective, this is a” huge win” for not only Boyle County, but for the entire region and for the state of Kentucky.
“A lot of money would come in from the federal government for signage, for advertising,” said Kirchner. “We would be put on national maps, and we would become a place where people would stop on their summer vacations. That matters.”
To those who fear the area would lose its pristine character, McKinney said one of the primary goals of the national park program is to preserve the land and the unique qualities of a site.
McKinney has said it will take some time for a project of this magnitude and importance to come to fruition, but is the first to say that Perryville and Boyle are blessed to have a treasure of such significance.
“How many counties have a site of national significance in them?” said McKinney. “Not very many. Let’s not let this opportunity go awry. I mean, it’s a no-brainer.”
More than 7,000 acres in and around Perryville are designated as a National Historic Landmark, recognized by the United States government for “its outstanding degree of historical significance.”
The actual battlefield site, which sits on nearly 1,000 acres and includes an interactive museum and visitors center that opened in 1962, currently averages about 100,000 visitors per year.
Article From Central Kentucky News:
http://m.centralkynews.com/amnews/news/local/boyle/perryville-battlefield-national-park-mckinney-kirchner-explain-why-it-s/article_441b425a-33b7-11e5-8d9f-cbbf04a9c01c.html?mode=jqm
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