Helping to preserve our national history

Richard Deardoff
Published: April 3, 2008

The American Civil War was the defining moment in our nation's history.
     It is through the preservation of sites like Brandy Station Battlefield, the Graffiti House and Kelly's Ford that our nation recalls and honors the heritage of its darkest hour.   
     The Graffiti House and adjacent battlefield land needs your help. Maintaining and keeping them in good condition is a rewarding but time-consuming task.
     Moreover, the job of improving these sites to make them more accessible and more informative to the public is always ongoing.
     There is much work to be done at Civil War sites in Culpeper and Fauquier counties.
On Saturday, the Graffiti House will join 110 other sites of historic significance participating in Park Day, a nationwide event sponsored by the Civil War Preservation Trust and the History Channel.
It is a day for volunteers to come and help reverse the wear and tear on these sites and remember the sacrifice so many have made to preserve the freedom we all enjoy.
Volunteers will receive T-shirts and a box lunch, but there's more to it than that. Reading Civil War history lets us imagine and learn, but it is only by walking the ground  the soldiers walked that  we can actually feel history.
Fading photographs and relics locked behind glass partitions in museums separate us from the past.
Being there brings this past into the present.
Something as simple as picking up battlefield trash, working on a house that witnessed the war or marking trails at Kelly's Ford honors and remembers the sacrifices that Americans - Rebel and Union - made.
Brandy Station projects will include marking and expanding trails at Kelly's Ford and St. James Church on the battlefield and cleaning the signage. Kelly's Ford - which witnessed significant military action during the war - is a popular recreational site that requires regular maintenance.
 The Graffiti House is a historic treasure trove, but a century and a half of railroad trains passing by has taken its toll. In addition to work, volunteers can enjoy a tour of the Graffiti House and battlefield commentaries by local historians.
Volunteers should bring work gloves.
Interested businesses or individuals are invited to donate needed items. Wheelbarrows, a lawnmower, rakes, paint and other items would be appreciated by the Brandy Station Foundation, a 501(c) nonprofit group that relies on tax-deductible dona-tions.
Volunteers should meet at The Graffiti House at 9 a.m. Saturday.
A local historian will give volunteers an overview of the military actions in the area and the highlights of the Graffiti House.
In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for April 12.
For more information about Park Day 2008, call 727-7718 or e-mail .

Richard Deardoff is charman of Graffiti House Park Day 2008.