New Valley Foundation Buys Land At Fisher's Hill
By Deborah Fitts
NEW MARKET, Va. - The fledgling Shenandoah Valley Battlefields
Foundation made its first purchase of land in mid-September,
securing 22 acres at Fisher's Hill.
The wooded hilltop just north of the village of Fisher's Hill
was used by Union Gen. Philip Sheridan as his command position.
From there, a half-mile northeast of the action, he directed
his forces in the Battle on Sept. 22, 1864.
"It's an outstanding vantage point," said the foundation's
director, Howard Kittell. "You can see the entire battlefield,
but you can't see I-81." The four-lane highway that passes
by the battlefield is out of sight in a dip in the landscape.
Kittell said the foundation envisions creating a parking area
for visitors, a hiking trail and interpretive signage.
"Vistas" will be cut through the wooded slopes of
the hill to provide visitors a sweeping view of the battlefield.
That view includes 194 acres owned by the Civil War Preservation
Trust. It was one of the first purchases by the Trust's predecessor
organization, the Association for the Preservation of Civil
War Sites.
Kittell noted that Sheridan's command position represented the
first purchase by the foundation since its formation in August
2000. The nonprofit organization was created by Congress to
manage the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic
District.
The foundation is also "working on a couple of pretty big
easements," Kittell noted. In fact, the foundation board
is currently eyeing properties on four out of the 10 Shenandoah
Valley battlefields that they are charged with protecting. All
purchases are from willing sellers.
The $58,500 cost of the acquisition at Fisher's Hill is being
shared by Shenandoah County. Kittell noted that the foundation's
management plan calls for collaborations with local governments.
Trust spokesman Jim Campi hailed the foundation's purchase as
a valuable addition to the land protected at Fisher's Hill.
The ability of visitors to view the battlefield from a distinct
vantage point "will certainly increase the value"
of the Trust's own holdings, he said.
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation received $1 million
from Congress for land acquisition in the current year. They
are requesting $2 million for the coming year, Kittell noted;
as of presstime in September, the House had OK'd the $2 million
but the Senate had allowed only $500,000.
"We're waiting with bated breath" to see the final
figure, Kittell said.
