OUR VIEW: Battlefield preservation important

Staff Editorial
Published: December 10, 2008

» SUMMARY: The state has shown a commitment to saving Civil War sites by pledging $5.2 million in grant money.

With urban development and sprawl continually posing a threat to Civil War sites, it’s refreshing to see the state coming to the aid of battlefields across the commonwealth.

One of them is right in our backyard. The Brandy Station battlefield recently received a portion of a $5.2 million grant in state funding to preserve historic areas across the commonwealth. Over-all, the grant will help save more than 1,500 acres associated with 15 significant Civil War battles.

Preserving our nation’s history is always important, but more so now than ever. Areas such as the Manassas and Wilderness battlefields — as well as others across northern and central Virginia —have become endangered by progress. Unfortunately, many Civil War sites are now forever lost to development.

Thankfully, most parts of the Brandy Station battlefield have remained untouched, and hopefully this grant will help keep it that way.

Preserving local battlefields helps Culpeper County bring in more tourists, which in turn helps educate more people on our area’s storied role in the Civil War. We applaud Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. Edd Houck and the other elected officials who championed the program.

No price should be put on preserving our history. And to help keep our battlefields pristine, we encourage you to support nonprofits like the Brandy Station Foundation and Civil War Preservation Trust.

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HOME TOUR: The annual Holiday Tour of Homes helped usher in the holiday season last weekend and was once again a great success.

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We thank the families who let the community step into their homes to enjoy the hospitality of the season and to appreciate some of the historic domiciles downtown.

It takes months of preparation to welcome the town into their homes, and sometimes it can be easy to forget to say “thank you.” But we want to let the organizers and homeowners know that they are greatly appreciated, and we can’t wait to take the tour again next year.