National Trust Names Wilderness Battlefield in Orange and Spotsylvania Counties, Virginia to its 2010 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Posted May 19, 2010 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Washington, D.C. (May 19, 2010) – Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Wilderness Battlefield in Orange and Spotsylvania Counties, Va. to its 2010 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation's architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk for destruction or irreparable damage.
In May 1864, almost 186,000 Union and Confederate troops endured two days of desperate fighting during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia's north central Piedmont region, halfway between Washington and Richmond. The nation was shocked by the battle's 28,000 casualties -- dead, wounded, or missing. Nearly 150 years later, a new battle at this hallowed battleground is pitting the nation's largest retailer against a group of fiercely determined local citizens and a national coalition of preservationists, academics, and National Park advocates.
One of the most significant engagements of the Civil War, the Battle of the Wilderness was the first time that legendary generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant faced off against one another. The Wilderness also marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War, and is as important to American heritage as Gettysburg, Antietam, or Appomattox. It's here – in an area known for its rolling landscapes and distant Blue Ridge Mountain views – that Walmart intends to construct 240,000 square feet of "big box" commercial sprawl within the historic boundaries of Wilderness Battlefield and immediately adjacent to the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, which protects only a portion of the battlefield. Walmart's 51-acre development site would include a Supercenter store and other chain retail stores.
Preservationists argue that Walmart's development would destroy hallowed ground, encroach on the National Park, and spoil the gateway to rural Orange County. Of particular concern is the expectation that Walmart's development would spur a dramatic increase in traffic and force the widening of historic Route 20 through the National Park, permanently undermining the visitor's experience of the historic landscape. Perhaps more importantly, Walmart's project would open the floodgates to more large-scale commercial sprawl on other parcels adjoining the National Park.
"If Walmart ignores American heritage and bulldozes the battlefield, the first impression 95 percent of visitors to the National Park would have of the Wilderness Battlefield would be an oversized bunker of a big-box store in a sea of asphalt perched above a massive intersection," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "No preservationist opposes sustainable economic growth, but this type of large-scale development and ill-conceived sprawl is simply not appropriate at the entrance to a National Park, especially when three other Walmarts each sit just 15 miles away. Even Walmart should know better than to drop a quarter million square feet of commercial buildings on a hill across the road from a National Park."
In August of 2009, despite protests from the National Park Service, the governor of Virginia, local and national heritage groups, and thousands of individual Americans, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to approve Walmart's proposal. However, despite this setback, preservationists considered the Wilderness Battlefield too important to give up the fight. Currently, with the pro bono legal assistance of Arnold & Porter, the nonprofit Friends of Wilderness Battlefield and a group of citizen co-plaintiffs are vigorously pursuing their lawsuit against Orange County in order to block the proposed development. The National Trust and Wilderness Battlefield Coalition are full partners in this advocacy campaign. Ever optimistic, preservationists continue to believe that Walmart should resolve the controversy by relocating its project to one of several other sites located in Orange County but away from the battlefield and National Park. Inexplicably, Walmart has rejected several offers of viable alternative sites in Orange County.
The public is invited to learn more about what they can do to support these and hundreds of other endangered sites, experience first-hand accounts of these places, and share stories and photos of their own at www.PreservationNation.org/11Most.
The 2010 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places was made possible, in part, by a grant from HistoryTM. Local preservation groups across the nation submitted nominations for this year's list; the nomination for Wilderness Battlefield was submitted by Friends of Wilderness Battlefield and the Civil War Preservation Trust.
To download high resolution images of this year's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/press.
The 2010 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (in alphabetical order):
America's State Parks and State-Owned Historic Sites—This year, nearly 30 states have experienced cuts to parks' and sites' budgets, and a recent survey estimates as many as 400 state parks could close. These state park systems include places of national significance—from Native American historic sites to Revolutionary War forts to Civil War battlefields to country estates—and welcome an estimated 725 million visits every year.
Black Mountain, Harlan County, Ky. —Nestled at the base of Eastern Kentucky's rugged Black Mountain, the historic mining towns of Benham and Lynch are working hard to define a future beyond coal. The towns, which have created well-respected heritage tourism sites and are working to revitalize their main streets, now face the threat of multiple surface and deep mining permits on and around Black Mountain—a move that would be tremendously harmful to Black Mountain's natural beauty, fragile ecology and growing tourism industry.
Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson, N.J. —Once the pride of Paterson, N.J., Hinchliffe Stadium is one of the last surviving ball parks of baseball's Negro League. Today, the 10,000-seat, poured-concrete Art Deco stadium that was home to the New York Black Yankees and legendary player Larry Doby, is closed and dangerously deteriorated.
Industrial Arts Building, Lincoln, Neb.—For nearly a century, this dramatic trapezoidal exposition space with natural skylights, intricate roof trusses and a four-story fountained interior, has showcased the best of Lincoln, Neb. Despite its long, proud history, the Industrial Arts Building will soon meet the wrecking ball unless a developer steps forward to rescue and reuse the building.
Juana Briones House, Palo Alto, Calif.— In the heart of Silicon Valley stands a building scholars believe contains the 1844 adobe home built by one of the original Hispanic residents of San Francisco, a pioneering woman who was a rancher, traditional healer and entrepreneur. Today this rare reminder of California’s rich Spanish and Mexican history sits abandoned, deteriorated, exposed to the elements and threatened by demolition.
Merritt Parkway, Fairfield County, Conn.—Spanning 37.5 distinctive miles and celebrated for its diverse collection of decorative bridges and lush, natural landscaping, Merritt Parkway remains, 70 years after it was constructed, one of America's most scenic roads. To accommodate increased traffic on the parkway, the cash-strapped Connecticut Department of Transportation is not performing necessary maintenance and has moved to realign roads, replace bridges and redesign interchanges, all at the cost of the parkway's unique character.
Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, Washington, D.C.—A major landmark of African American heritage and one of the most important religious institutions in the United States, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church's red brick Victorian Gothic-style building, completed in 1886, hosted the funeral of congregant Frederick Douglass in 1895 and Rosa Parks a century later. Years of water infiltration and damage caused in part by adjacent construction projects have compromised the structure, prompting the dedicated congregation to launch a national capital campaign to rescue and restore this irreplaceable house of worship.
Pågat, Yigo, Guam—The island of Guam, the westernmost United States territory in the Pacific, is home to the Chamorro people who maintain a thriving culture dating back thousands of years. With the United States military's announced plans for a massive buildup on the island, many residents are concerned about the potentially devastating impact on the island's cultural resources, including one of Guam's most treasured sites, the ancient Chamorro settlement of Pågat.
Saugatuck Dunes, Saugatuck, Mich.—Along the shores of Lake Michigan, the 2,500 acres that comprise the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Area boast a spectacular, sparsely-developed landscape of sand dunes, water, woods and wetlands. Home to several endangered species and a large number of significant historic and archeological sites, Saugatuck Dunes and its surrounding community are threatened by a proposed 400-acre, residential development, to include a marina, hotel, restaurant and retail complex.
Threefoot Building, Meridian, Miss.—For 80 years, this 16-story Art Deco, lavishly decorated, granite-clad skyscraper has been a mainstay of downtown Meridian, Miss. Although a developer expressed interest in rehabilitating the deteriorated building, the City of Meridian has been unable to provide gap financing or other incentives and locals fear that Threefoot's bright future may end in demolition.
Wilderness Battlefield, Orange and Spotsylvania Counties, Va.—One of the most significant and bloodiest engagements of the Civil War, the Battle of the Wilderness marked the first time that legendary generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant faced off against one another. It is here—in an area known for its rolling landscapes and distant Blue Ridge Mountain views—that Walmart intends to trample on American heritage by constructing 240,000 square feet of "big box" commercial sprawl within the historic boundaries of Wilderness Battlefield and immediately adjacent to the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 200 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. The designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history. The list has been so successful in galvanizing preservation efforts across the country and rallying resources to save endangered places that, in just two decades, only seven sites have been lost.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
