Fairfax County Officials Hear Support For Ox Hill/Chantilly Park
November 2004

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Fairfax County Park Authority heard support for plans to create Ox Hill (Chantilly) Battlefield Park and criticism of the Confederate Fortification Historic Site (Union Mills) plan at Sept. 13 public hearings.

Subsequently the park authority held an "open park" at the fortifications site where archaeologists and cultural resources staff gave tours of the earthworks, gun emplacements and tent platforms and answered residents' questions about the General Management Plan. Residents' main concerns had to do with parking at the site and crime and vandalism in the neighborhood.

A park official later termed the tours a success and said the authority was working on modifications to alleviate neighbors' concerns.

Project Manager Irish Grandfield told the joint hearing of the park authority's goal of creating a coordinated interpretive experience for all of the county's Civil War sites. The decision was made to build on the county's sites inventory and plan the Ox Hill and Confederate Fortifications parks simultaneously.

According to Ed Wenzel of the Chantilly Battlefield Association, Civil War groups and supporters endorsed both plans. Six of the 10 Bull Run Civil War Round Table members who attended spoke for the Chantilly association. Also attending were historians Kim Holien, Brian Pohanka and Dave Welker.

Wenzel said strong support was given for the park authority's plan to reserve sites for future Union and Confederate monuments at Ox Hill, the plan to restore the 4.5-acre battlefield to its 1862 appearance and to cooperate with surrounding property owners to interpret or memorialize some battle events in off-site locations.

Residents from the Balmoral neighborhood of the Confederate fortifications packed the hearing room, according to Wenzel. While some considered the park an asset, Wenzel said there were comments about the words "Civil War heritage tourism" and "demonstration areas" being "alarming," and one resident called the park "an unwelcome addition in the community."

Park staff assured everyone that the planning process was just beginning and that all concerns would be addressed and resolved, Wenzel reported.

For information about Ox Hill and the Confederate Fortifications plans contact Grandfield at (703) 324-8725 or irish.grandfield@fairfaxcounty.gov.