CWPT: Monocacy One of Nation's Most Endangered Battlefields

Photo courtesy of Nancy Olds

Actor Richard Dreyfuss Announces "History Under Siege" Report

Date: March 18, 2009
Contact: Cathy Beeler, 301-662-3515
Contact: Jim Campi, CWPT, 202-367-1861

Photo Academy-Award Winning Actor Richard Dreyfuss Helps Unveil “History Under Siege” Report in Washington

At a news conference this morning, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) included Monocacy in its annual report on the status of the nation’s historic battlegrounds. The report, entitled History Under Siege: A Guide to America’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields, identifies the most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to rescue them.

Monocacy was included in the report due to a proposed waste-to-energy facility that would include a 350-foot-tall smokestack. The $527 million facility would process trash from Frederick and Carroll counties, burning up to 1,500 tons per day. The facility’s smokestack would be visible from much of the battlefield. [See visualizations at right.]

“In town after town, irreplaceable battlefields that help to define those communities are being lost to development,” said CWPT president James Lighthizer at the report’s unveiling. “As we approach the Sesquicentennial of the bloodiest conflict in our nation’s history, we need to be more aware than ever of the importance of preserving these sacred places for generations to come.”

Joining Lighthizer at the news conference was Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, an avid student of history. Reflecting on the importance of historic preservation, Dreyfuss said, “These hallowed battlegrounds should be national shrines, monuments to American valor, determination and courage. Once these irreplaceable treasures are gone, they’re gone forever.”

This is not the first time Monocacy has earned the dubious distinction of being among the nation’s most threatened Civil War battlefields. It was also included in the 2008 report and was one of the “Northern Piedmont” battlefields listed in the 2007 report.

“We are continually threatened by the very features of our landscape that brought history to our doorstep,” said Superintendent Susan Trail. “The crossroads that attracted troops to Monocacy also led to the eventual development of a metropolitan area and the immediate and looming threats to preservation associated with support of urban life. Maintaining balance is delicate, but serious work.”

The Civil War Preservation Trust is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promoting appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. History Under Siege is composed of two parts; one identifying the 10 most endangered battlefields in the nation, and a second section lists 15 additional “at risk” sites also facing serious threats. Sites discussed in the report range from the famous to the nearly forgotten, but at least part of each site is in danger of being lost forever. Battlefields were chosen based on geographic location, military significance, and the immediacy of current threats.

In addition to Monocacy, other sites profiled in History Under Siege include:

Cedar Creek, Virginia, Oct. 19, 1864: Preservationists continue fighting to overturn a recent zoning decision that opens 394 acres of critically important battlefield land in the Shenandoah Valley to an expanding limestone quarry.

Fort Gaines, Alabama, August 5-8, 1864: Dredging practices in the Gulf of Mexico have greatly sped the erosion of the Dauphin Island, which could someday be cut in half by the water. Only timely action can ensure the survival of the site.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1–3, 1863: Significant portions the battlefield lay outside the boundaries of the National Park, leaving them open for development. Preservationists are eager to protect one such area, but the high asking price has thus far put it out of their reach.

New Market Heights, Virginia, September 29, 1864: Although one of the war’s most significant engagements featuring African-American troops, New Market Heights has not yet seen any land purchased by preservation organizations. Portions of the battlefield have already been destroyed by a housing development and more development is encroaching.

Port Gibson, Mississippi, May 1, 1863: En route to his eventual capture of Vicksburg, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant famously called Port Gibson a town to beautiful to burn. A controversial proposal to widen Church Street through the heart of town would threaten historic neighborhoods.

Sabine Pass, Texas, September 8, 1863: During the war a handful of Confederate gunners at Sabine Pass turned back an entire Union fleet, but damage sustained by Hurricane Rita has kept the site closed to the public since 2005.

South Mountain, Maryland, September 14, 1862: Hopelessly outnumbered Confederates fought valiantly in three mountain passes, as Gen. Robert E. Lee launched his invasion of the North. Dominion Power proposes a natural gas compression station near Fox’s Gap.

Spring Hill, Tennessee, Nov. 29, 1864: General Motors is seeking to sell approximately 500 acres of unused land surrounding the battlefield. While some will form a buffer around Rippavilla Plantation, plans call for high-density development — apartments, a hotel, a theater, restaurants and retail and office space — on approximately 400 acres.

Wilderness, Virginia, May 5–6, 1864: Preservationists are trying to block Walmart from building a 138,000-square-foot supercenter just a quarter mile from the edge of the national park. If built, it would be the fifth Wal-Mart within a 20-mile radius and ensure further commercial development nearby.