News Release

National Park Service awards $3.3 million to protect 120 acres at five Civil War battlefields

A section of landscape near Trevilian Station to be protected and interpreted as a site of a calvary battle during the Civil War in Louisa County, Virginia.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: September 20, 2023

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) awarded $3,290,919.25 in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) today to protect 119.98 acres, including five battlefields in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

State and local governments spearhead the projects funded by ABPP grants to protect significant battlefield landscapes that are vital to the shared history of their communities and the nation. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation, makes these awards possible. 

“These awards expand the local stewardship efforts of state and local governments with their preservation partners to increase protection of the irreplaceable historic and cultural landscapes in their communities,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.   

An example of this expanded preservation is the acquisition at Trevilian Station Battlefield. The property was the site of significant action for much of the first day of the Battle of Trevilian Station on June 11, 1864. During the morning hours, Brigadier General George A. Custer’s Michigan Cavalry Brigade took a side road down to the Gordonsville Road and headed toward Trevilian Station. When his column turned, Custer spotted a large Confederate wagon train in the road ahead of him. He ordered two calvary units, the 5th and 6th Michigan Cavalry, to charge. However, a quick response by the Confederates encircled Custer’s command, which stood alone until additional Union cavalry could make its way through later in the afternoon. This new acquisition is near almost 100 acres of protected battlefield secured with previous grant awards. The location to the south of Trevilian Station and the Virginia Central Railroad is already an interpretive tour stop for the battlefield. 

Today’s awards are distributed to: 

• City of Franklin ($1,980,050.00) for the preservation of 0.87 acres at Franklin Battlefield in Williamson County, Tennessee.  

• Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission ($756,650.25) for preservation of 0.63 acres at Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. 

• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($44,448.00) for the preservation of 8 acres at Dinwiddie Courthouse Battlefield in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. 

• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($184,156.00) for the preservation of 11.78 acres at Seven Pines Battlefield in Henrico County, Virginia. 

• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($325,615.00) for the preservation of 98.7 acres at Trevilian Station Battlefield in Louisa County, Virginia. 

The NPS ABPP’s Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants empower preservation partners nationwide to acquire and preserve threatened battlefields on American soil. In addition, the program administers three other grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Interpretation and Battlefield Restoration Grants. Financial and technical assistance support sustainable, community-driven stewardship of natural and historic resources at the state, Tribal and local levels.  

Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants are available on a rolling basis. To learn more about how to apply, head to NPS ABPP’s website. For questions about NPS ABPP’s grants, contact the program at e-mail us. 

www.nps.gov 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.