Limestone mine dispute hangs over key Civil War battlefield
The expansion of a limestone quarry at one of the nation's most endangered Civil War battlefields threatens a mecca for re-enactors of a key Union victory, the National Trust for Historic Preservation warns.
The Cedar Creek Civil War battlefield each year attracts thousands of history enthusiasts for one of the largest battle re-enactments in the nation. The battlefield is located in the northwest corner of Virginia near Middletown.
The National Park Service owns 3,500 acres of the original 15,000-acre battlefield and partners with the trust and the Cedar Creek Civil War Foundation to preserve hundreds more acres. The property also includes Belle Grove Plantation, a National Historic Landmark built in 1794.
The dispute involves the expansion of the quarry and what the trust said is a reversal over expansion of the mining by the foundation, which sponsors the annual re-enactments. The trust said the expansion would include blasting and heavy truck traffic that would threaten the battlefield and Belle Grove and subject visitors to clouds of dust and noise.
Read entire article at AP
The Cedar Creek Civil War battlefield each year attracts thousands of history enthusiasts for one of the largest battle re-enactments in the nation. The battlefield is located in the northwest corner of Virginia near Middletown.
The National Park Service owns 3,500 acres of the original 15,000-acre battlefield and partners with the trust and the Cedar Creek Civil War Foundation to preserve hundreds more acres. The property also includes Belle Grove Plantation, a National Historic Landmark built in 1794.
The dispute involves the expansion of the quarry and what the trust said is a reversal over expansion of the mining by the foundation, which sponsors the annual re-enactments. The trust said the expansion would include blasting and heavy truck traffic that would threaten the battlefield and Belle Grove and subject visitors to clouds of dust and noise.