Civil War Trust Completes Memorable 2014

The cause of battlefield preservation took great strides forward in 2014, as the Civil War Trust, America’s premier battlefield preservation organization, announced several landmark projects, and laid the groundwork for continued success beyond the conclusion of the national Civil War sesquicentennial commemoration.  Through the generosity of individual donors, coupled with strategic partnerships with government officials and nonprofit groups across the country, the Trust protected more than 2,300 acres of battlefield land in 2014, eclipsing 40,000 total acres saved by the organization at 122 historic sites in 20 states.

 

“A generation from now, I believe that 2014 will be remembered as the year when the conceivable scope of battlefield preservation exploded,” remarked Trust president James Lighthizer.  “This was the year that we demonstrated, in multiple ways, the tremendous level of public support for protection of hallowed ground as outdoor classrooms and living memorials to the sacrifices of
America’s military.”

Working closely in cooperation with willing landowners and preservation partners, the Trust completed 45 transactions at 26 individual battlefields in 10 states. The battlefields where land was preserved in 2014:  Appomattox Court House, Va.; Bentonville, N.C.; Brandy Station, Va.; Cedar Creek, Va.; Cold Harbor, Va.; Davis Bridge, Tenn.; Franklin, Tenn.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Glendale, Va.; Glorieta Pass, N.M.; Harpers Ferry, W.Va.; Kelly’s Ford, Va.; Mansfield, La.; Mill Springs, Ky.; North Anna, Va.; Petersburg, Va.; Port Republic, Va.; Rappahannock Station, Va.; Ream’s Station, Va.; Richmond, Ky.; Shepherdstown, W.Va.; Shiloh, Tenn.; South Mountain, Md.; Stones River, Tenn.; Trevilian Station, Va.; and Vicksburg, Miss.



The Antietam battlefield in Maryland

With the October closing of the 654-acre historic Fontaine Farm at North Anna — a property encompassing nearly the entire scene of combat on May 23, 1864 — the Trust surpassed 40,000 acres saved in the organization’s history. In November, the Trust embarked on a large preservation opportunity at Chancellorsville, seeking to raise nearly $500,000 to save 479 acres associated
with Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s flank attack. Facilitating these types of landmark transactions was the Trust’s ongoing sesquicentennial fundraising effort, Campaign 150, which, in April, met its original $40 million goal before being extended to an unprecedented $50 million target.

Proving that acreage is not the only measure of a preservation project’s significance, in July, the Trust announced a $5.5 million national fundraising campaign to save 4.1 acres in Gettysburg, Pa. The property played a key role in combat on July 1, 1863, and includes several historic buildings — most notably the Mary Thompson House, used throughout the remainder of the battle as Gen. Robert E. Lee’s headquarters.

The most significant developments in battlefield preservation during 2014 came near the year’s close. On Veterans Day, the Trust announced the launch of Campaign 1776, ww.campaign1776.org, the first-ever national initiative to preserve and interpret the battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The new effort’s first project involves assisting the State of New Jersey in the protection of four acres on the Princeton Battlefield, scene of George Washington’s first victory over British forces on January 3, 1777. Campaign 1776 received a major boost on December 12, when Congress passed legislation to extend federal matching grants for battlefield protection through 2021 and, for the first time, make sites from other conflicts eligible for what had previously been a Civil War-only program.

“The extension of this grant program mirrors our reasoning for the creation of Campaign 1776,” said Trust president James Lighthizer. “All of these American battlefields are sacred places — living memorials to this nation’s brave soldiers, past, present and future — and it is up to us to ensure their protection.”

The battle of Antietam in September 1862

The Trust’s preservation success in 2014 would not have been possible without the dedication of Trust partners, including:  American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service, Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site, City of Franklin (TN), County of Chesterfield (VA) Parks and Recreation, Department of Agriculture Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission, Kentucky Heritage Council, Madison County (KY) Fiscal Court,
Louisiana Office of State Parks, Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Municipality of Princeton (NJ), New Jersey State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs-Historic Preservation Division, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission-Bureau for Historic Preservation, Tennessee Historical Commission, Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Virginia Department of Transportation.  Numerous organizations also contributed to these preservation successes, including:  Averasboro Battlefield Commission, Battle of Richmond Association, Brandy Station Foundation, Franklin’s Charge, Central Maryland Heritage League, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Friends of Shiloh National Military Park, Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Gettysburg Foundation, Glorieta Battlefield Preservation Society, Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Land Conservancy of Adams County, Land Trust for Tennessee, Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle, Manassas Battlefield Trust, Maryland Environmental Trust, Maryland Historical Trust, Mill Springs Battlefield Association, National Parks Conservation Association, New Mexico Land Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Princeton Battlefield Society, Richmond Battlefields Association, Save Historic Antietam Foundation, Silver Companies, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association, Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation and Wallace Foundation.

“These are among the generous individuals and organizations who continue to stand by the Trust and our members — year in and year out — to save America’s hallowed ground,” Lighthizer said. “Our job would be a whole lot harder without the tireless efforts of these leaders, along with many of our elected officials who fight — tooth and nail — for programs essential to our efforts.”

In addition to its land acquisition successes, the Trust continues promoting greater appreciation and understanding of the Civil War through its innovative educational programs and digital offerings.  In 2014, the group’s flagship website, www.civilwar.org, received more than 5.8 million unique visits — an increase of 30 percent from 2013.  A popular new online feature was the War Department™ video series, an ongoing effort designed to move past lists of names and dates, encouraging viewers to analyze the broader impact of historical events.  Classroom educators benefited from two new Trust programs: the Teachers Regiment, a virtual community of classroom educators, museum professionals, librarians, tour guides and other public historians eager to raise the level of history instruction nationwide; and the Field Trip Fund, a scholarship fund to assist teachers in planning and paying for student trips to historic sites.



Antietam preservation

The Trust also continues to earn accolades for its sound fiscal management and commitment to top-notch donor relations, renewing its Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance accreditation and receiving a prestigious Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations. In addition, the Trust maintained its 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s leading charity evaluator, for a fifth straight year — an honor bestowed on only four percent of charities assessed by that organization.  Further, the Trust’s membership magazine, Hallowed Ground, again earned top honors for outstanding quality through the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence — its sixth-consecutive Grand Award.

The Civil War Trust is the largest and most effective nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds.  Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.  To date, the Trust has preserved more than 40,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states.  Learn more at www.civilwar.org.

Congress Enacts Landmark Legislation to Preserve America's Endangered Battlefields

The Civil War Trust has applauded members of U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for enactment of landmark legislation to preserve America’s endangered battlefields.  The legislation, part of an omnibus lands package included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 3979), reauthorizes a highly successful federal matching grant program for the preservation of Civil War battlefields.  In addition, the bill expands that existing program to provide grants for the acquisition of land at Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields.

“This is a historic moment for the battlefield preservation movement,” remarked Civil War Trust president James Lighthizer.  “For 15 years, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been an invaluable tool for protecting the hallowed battlegrounds of the Civil War.  Now, for the first time, battlefields associated with America’s other formative conflicts, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, will also benefit from this public-private partnership.”

The legislation, originally introduced in 2013 as the American Battlefields Protection Program Amendments Act (H.R. 1033), reauthorizes the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, a matching grants program that encourages private sector investment in historic battlefield protection.  Since the program was first funded by Congress in FY 1999, it has been used to preserve more than 23,000 acres of battlefield land in 17 states.  The battlefields protected through the program include some of the most famous in the annals of America, including Antietam, Md., Chancellorsville and Manassas, Va.; Chattanooga and Franklin, Tenn.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Perryville, Ky.; and Vicksburg, Miss.

The bipartisan bill was sponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Congressmen Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) in their respective chambers.  In addition, the bill was championed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.).  A complete list of House and Senate cosponsors can be found on the Congress.gov website (Senate and House).

The battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

“We owe our Congressional champions in the House and Senate an enormous debt of gratitude for believing in this program and guiding it through an often complicated legislative process,” Lighthizer noted.  “Thanks to their tireless efforts, thousands of acres of genuine American history that might have been lost to development can still be preserved for future generations.”

In his remarks, Lighthizer also noted that this legislation, by encouraging the protection of battlefield land, also honors the courage and sacrifices of all who served in America’s military.  “Preserved battlefields are living monuments – not just to the soldiers who fought in those hallowed fields – but to all Americans who have worn our nation’s uniform.  There are no better places to learn about the human cost of the freedoms we enjoy today.”

The Civil War Trust is the premier nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds.  The Trust is the principal nonprofit advocate for federal battlefield preservation programs and legislation.