Valley Foundation Begins Campaign For
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF) took the lead on the $3.35 million purchase of two tracts from the Huntsberry family. The National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program contributed $1.23 million, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation $1 million, Frederick County $112,000 and the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) $380,000. CWPT has raised its share. The SVBF pledged $628,000 and recently launched a Huntsberry Capital Campaign. A 15-member campaign committee will raise funds and pay down a $550,000 mortgage. The balance of what the SVBF is committing to the purchase was raised earlier. The James R. Wilkins Family of Winchester gave the first major capital campaign donation, $100,000. This, with additional donations, reduced the mortgage balance to about $373,000 at presstime. Foundation Executive Director W. Denman Zirkle, who is a member of the capital campaign committee, said its initial work would be completed by the end of the year. No decision has been made on how much money must be raised or the timetable. “We want to tie this into an ongoing project. We have not defined the size or scope of that project just yet,” he said. The project’s first phase was to purchase the property and round out some 575 acres of contiguous battlefield, including 222 that the CWPT owns. The second phase will pay the mortgage and initial costs of a cultural resource report and interpretation of the battlefield property. Elizabeth Paradis Stern, director of SVBF policy and communications, noted that the Huntsberry family owned the farm since the Valley was settled. She said its entire history, not just the Civil War period, must be considered and respected. They have to determine “what stories it holds” before decisions about interpretation and those costs can be made. The cultural resources work may involve some archeology. “This is an amazing piece of land,” Stern said. “Getting in and figuring out what we’ve got will be an exciting process.” The Huntsberry Farm is in the core area of Third Winchester Battlefield where Union Gen. Philip Sheridan started his military operation that burned the Valley as far south as Staunton. More than 54,000 soldiers took part in the Sept. 19, 1864, battle, with more than 9,000 casualties in the battle. Nearly 1,500 men were killed or wounded on the Huntsberry Farm area of the battlefield. Future presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley fought at Third Winchester. CWPT President James Lighthizer first told members about the chance to save the farm a year ago. They responded with donations of $223,000, leaving $157,000 to be raised to meet CWPT’s commitment. Half of that balance came from emergency reserves, leaving $78,500 needed from donations. In September Lighthizer called on CWPT members to help, and they did. “The response we received from CWPT members for this campaign to help save this important 209-acre tract was truly inspiring,” Lighthizer wrote the membership. “Your generous donations poured forth; your words of encouragement bolstered us in this tough fight.” For information about Third Winchester land preservation or to make donations to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and Civil War Preservation Trust go to www.ShenandoahAtWar.org and www.civilwar.org. |
