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SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Advocates of preserving a Civil War battlefield near Shepherdstown now have protected about 52 acres from development.
The Jefferson County (W.Va.) Historic Landmarks Commission announced last week that it took title to 26 more acres of battlefield land through the assistance of the Civil War Trust, a nonprofit battlefield-preservation group.
U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced Friday that an award of $44,525.95 in federal funding will help preserving more than 14 of the 26 acres.
The acreage joins various tracts of land that have been acquired since 2011 as part of efforts to preserve a core area of the battlefield, said Martin Burke, chairman of the landmarks commission. The Battle of Shepherdstown, also known as the Battle of Boteler’s Ford, was fought on Sept. 19-20, 1862, after the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, according to the National Park Service.
There were more than 600 casualties in the battle at Shepherdstown, which was the final engagement of the Maryland Campaign that included battles at Antietam, Harpers Ferry and South Mountain.
A 2014 National Park Service study found that a 510-acre area in the center of the battlefield "would be a suitable addition to Antietam National Battlefield because of the close historical and geographical connection between the two battles," but didn't meet the criteria to become a new stand-alone park.
The proposed addition of land to Antietam requires congressional approval of a boundary adjustment for the Sharpsburg-area battlefield, Burke said. Though the Shepherdstown battlefield encompasses about 5,000 acres in Jefferson and Washington counties, the core area is about one mile east of Shepherdstown and 5.4 miles south of Antietam National Battlefield, according to the park service.
Manchin and Capito voiced strong support for preservation of the Shepherdstown battlefield in their joint announcement.
The Jefferson County (W.Va.) Historic Landmarks Commission announced last week that it took title to 26 more acres of battlefield land through the assistance of the Civil War Trust, a nonprofit battlefield-preservation group.
U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced Friday that an award of $44,525.95 in federal funding will help preserving more than 14 of the 26 acres.
The acreage joins various tracts of land that have been acquired since 2011 as part of efforts to preserve a core area of the battlefield, said Martin Burke, chairman of the landmarks commission. The Battle of Shepherdstown, also known as the Battle of Boteler’s Ford, was fought on Sept. 19-20, 1862, after the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, according to the National Park Service.
There were more than 600 casualties in the battle at Shepherdstown, which was the final engagement of the Maryland Campaign that included battles at Antietam, Harpers Ferry and South Mountain.
A 2014 National Park Service study found that a 510-acre area in the center of the battlefield "would be a suitable addition to Antietam National Battlefield because of the close historical and geographical connection between the two battles," but didn't meet the criteria to become a new stand-alone park.
The proposed addition of land to Antietam requires congressional approval of a boundary adjustment for the Sharpsburg-area battlefield, Burke said. Though the Shepherdstown battlefield encompasses about 5,000 acres in Jefferson and Washington counties, the core area is about one mile east of Shepherdstown and 5.4 miles south of Antietam National Battlefield, according to the park service.
Manchin and Capito voiced strong support for preservation of the Shepherdstown battlefield in their joint announcement.
