SVBF and Harrisonburg Tourism Open Civil War Orientation Center

Facility is the third in series for Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District

For immediate release—September 25, 2009

Contacts: Terry Heder/SVBF: 540-740-4545
Brenda Black/Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services: 540-432-8935

HARRISONBURG, Va.—From Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign to Union Gen. Philip Sheridan’s final destruction of the Valley in 1864, the central Shenandoah Valley’s compelling Civil War history will be told in a new orientation center for the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.

Today representatives of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services, and Civil War sites and organizations throughout the region gathered to cut the ribbon on the new facility. Hosted by Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services, the new center will serve the central Valley, orienting visitors to the region’s remarkable Civil War story and encouraging them to explore the battlefields and other historic sites where that story can be experienced today.

“An important piece of the puzzle for the National Historic District is the development of orientation centers throughout the region,” said W. Denman Zirkle, Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which manages the District. “So this is a benchmark day for all of us—the Foundation and our partners. By making it easier for visitors to explore the Valley’s Civil War sites, they will better understand our shared history while also contributing fuel to the Valley’s economic engine. In addition, having residents and visitors becoming more engaged in the battlefields and other historic sites will lead to a stronger sense of stewardship of these nationally significant historic resources.”

“We are excited to offer visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in our Civil War heritage,” said Brenda Black, Harrisonburg Tourism Operations Manager.

Civil War Orientation Center: Third in a Series of Centers in the National Historic District

The Civil War Orientation Center is the third in a series of centers to be located throughout the eight-county National Historic District. The first center opened in McDowell in May 2005, and the second in Winchester in May 2008. This newest center will serve the central Shenandoah Valley, making it easier for visitors to explore the Civil War sites throughout the area, including Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and parts of southern Page and northern Augusta counties.

The center will help visitors understand the Civil War history of the Shenandoah Valley – and the unique history of this area, from the dramatic battles of Cross Keys, Port Republic, and Piedmont to the heartbreak of The Burning. Most importantly, it will direct visitors to the historic sites, museums, and other locations where they can still experience that moving story today.

Located inside the Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center, the orientation center features a large map of the Shenandoah Valley showing the sites of the region’s major battles, a timeline of the Civil War in the Valley, and photos and quotes associated with the central Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War sites and stories. The center also offers a video presentation about the drama and importance of the Valley’s overall Civil War history. Finally, the center includes a large map spotlighting the array of Civil War sites in the central Valley.

The video was produced by the award-winning Williamsburg firm Two Rivers Multimedia, noted for similar materials developed for museums and historic sites across the Commonwealth and the East Coast. The wall displays were developed by Thayer Design in Lynchburg, which has produced such materials for sites throughout Virginia, including the Valley Turnpike Museum in Harrisonburg. Two Rivers and Thayer also produced and developed the video and displays for the Civil War Orientation Center in Winchester.

Preparing for the Civil War Sesquicentennial

The orientation center is part of the Battlefields Foundation’s effort to help partners in the Shenandoah Valley prepare for the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, which begins in 2011. As a primary theatre of the Civil War and the site of more than 60 percent of its battles, Virginia is expected to be a primary destination for travelers seeking to learn more about this chapter in American history.

“Civil War orientation centers such as this are instrumental in helping visitors visualize how best to spend their time in visiting Virginia’s Civil War sites and attractions,” said Richard Lewis, Public Relations Manager with Virginia Tourism Corporation. “And with the upcoming Civil War Sesquicentennial, we anticipate even greater numbers of people coming to Virginia who will benefit from information such as this. This center is the right tool becoming available at the right time to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Development of the Civil War Orientation Center: A Partnership

As with the previous two facilities, the development of this Civil War Orientation Center was a partnership process. The orientation center’s location and management structure, its approach, and the center’s interpretive content were all determined by a group of local stakeholders and historic sites, coordinated by the Battlefields Foundation. Harrisonburg Tourism will be the primary partner to administer the orientation center, in cooperation with the other stakeholders in this area of the National Historic District.

“The National Historic District’s management plan envisions that decisions about each orientation center will be made by the local partners and that is exactly what happened here,” said Terry Heder, the Battlefields Foundation’s Program Manager for Field Services. Heder coordinated the development and installation of the center’s interpretive displays.

“Speaking for the Civil War partners in the area, we are extremely grateful to Harrisonburg Tourism and the city for offering to host the center,” said Irvin E. Hess, MD, the Battlefields Foundation’s Chairman and the owner of the historic Widow Pence Farm on the Cross Keys battlefield. “This center will be an important part of helping visitors find our historic sites and understand their importance.”

Funding for the orientation center was provided through the Battlefields Foundation’s federal appropriation secured by Senators John Warner, Mark Warner, and Jim Webb and Congressmen Frank Wolf and Bob Goodlatte.

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Created by Congress in 1996, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District encompasses Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties in Virginia and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester. The legislation authorizes federal funding for the protection of ten Civil War battlefields in the District and for the coordination of interpretation and promotion of the Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War history.

As authorized by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation serves as the non-profit manager of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, partnering with local, regional, and national organizations and governments to preserve the Valley’s battlefields and interpret and promote the region’s Civil War story.

Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services is the Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Harrisonburg. Harrisonburg Tourism receives funding from the City’s General Fund. It does not receive a direct allocation from the city’s meals and lodging tax. The mission of Harrisonburg Tourism is to position the City of Harrisonburg as a premier travel destination by promoting and developing creative tourism initiatives to stimulate economic growth throughout the City. Harrisonburg Tourism works in partnership with local businesses, media, travel writers, group tour operators, meeting and event planners, film scouts, and regional and state tourism partners to increase tourism within our region. Tourism Operations Manager, Brenda Black operates the Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center located at 212 S. Main St in Downtown Harrisonburg.

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ON THE WEB:

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and the
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District:
     www.ShenandoahAtWar.org

Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services:
     www.harrisonburgtourism.com

National Park Service 1992 study of the Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War battlefields:
     www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/shenandoah/svs0-1.html

Virginia Tourism Corporation
     Tourism industry site: www.vatc.org
     Consumer site: www.Virginia.org

Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission
     http://www.virginiacivilwar.org/

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