Civil War battlefields in national parks under fire from encroaching developers

March 28, 5:57 PMNational Parks Recreation ExaminerRandi Minetor

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Gettysburg from McPherson Ridge       Nic Minetor

How many Wal-Mart Super Centers does it take to ruin a Civil War battlefield?

Just one, according to a coalition of local, regional state and national preservation groups in Orange County, Va., who are working to prevent the discount mega-giant from building a 138,000-square-foot store less than a quarter-mile from Wilderness National Battlefield.  While Wal-Mart is not attempting to build on land officially preserved by the National Park Service, its planned super center would indeed be within the historic boundaries of the battle.

Wilderness is just one of the beleaguered historic sites listed by the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT)—the only non-profit organization devoted entirely to preserving battlefields and historic sites related to this war—in its list of the ten most endangered Civil War battlefields in the United States.  The CWPT released its list this week, and four of the endangered battlefields on the list are units of the National Park Service:  Gettysburg National Military Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, Wilderness National Battlefield (part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County National Battlefield Park), and Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.

By “endangered, “ CWPT references battlefield sites that are threatened by commercial or municipal development that encroaches on or even crosses the boundaries of the battlefield itself. 

In addition to the Wal-Mart at Wilderness, CWPT describes these threats to the parks:

At Monocacy in Frederick County, Md., officials are considering the construction of a “waste-to-energy” facility along the banks of the Monocacy River near Worthington Farm, where Confederate troops under Lieutenant General Jubal Early landed after crossing the Monocacy River on July 9, 1864.  This farmland became a staging area from which Confederates launched three advances on Union troops at Thomas Farm, the neighboring property. The proposed waste facility would process trash transported there from Frederick and Carroll counties, burning up to 1,500 tons daily and sending pillars of smoke upward through a 350-foot smokestack, all of which would be clearly visible from the battlefield.

In Gettysburg, a Comfort Suites hotel is currently under construction on Cemetery Hill, right next to Evergreen Cemetery on Baltimore Pike.  Meanwhile, on McPherson Ridge—the site of the battle’s first day of fighting on July 1, 1863—the Gettysburg Country Club has closed, and the property is awaiting a buyer.  Efforts by the National Park Service and other conservation groups to purchase the property have been thwarted by an “astronomical” asking price, according to CWPT.  If the property falls into the hands of a major developer or a retail chain, the result could be a disaster for this unprotected segment of the battleground.

Perhaps the most dramatic encroachment, however, is already in progress at Cedar Creek in northern Virginia.  Here limestone mining operations have made slag piles and heavy machinery visible from the battlefield, as well as from Belle Grove Plantation, which is part of the park.  To the horror of preservationists, the Frederick County Board of Supervisors rezoned 394 acres near the northern battlefield for “extractive manufacturing,” significantly expanding the mining operation. 

What can be done to protect the battlefields?  CWPT works with legislators, preservationists and concerned citizens, saving 25,000 acres of Civil War battlefield land to date.  To donate to the effort or to contact lawmakers to encourage them to prevent further loss of these battlefields, visit CWPT's website.for more information.