Save 170 Acres at Port Republic

You can help preserve 170 acres of the most important land left to preserve on the Port Republic Battlefield – the famed Lewiston farm, known to preservationists as the Kaylor Tract.  What’s even better is, with the state funding already secured combined with the federal funds we can expect to receive, we will be able to match every gift you give 25 to 1!  Every dollar you give to this campaign will have 25 times the impact!  To preserve Lewiston for all time will cost $1,040,000, but all that you and I need to raise to get this done is $41,000.  That $41,000 will be used to complete all the due diligence required to qualify for the state and federal grants and is the funding we need to bring all that grant money to the table.

Even without the amazing match, this project would be worth the fight, but the matching grant funds make tackling a project like this a no brainer.  Lewiston is too important to lose. It was across this property that the heaviest fighting of the battle raged as Stonewall Jackson and Dick Ewell funneled their units into the fight.  With Fremont across the river and with no time to spare, Jackson had to drive Erasmus Taylor’s Federals from their defensive position along the north edge of this property.  To fail would mean the possible annihilation of his army, and at the very least would risk the Federals uniting their forces, spelling almost certain doom for the Confederates in the Valley.  During the battle, charge and counter charge swept across these fields as both armies desperately fought to win the day.  Look at the historic sketch I’ve included with this letter and take a moment to think about how important this property really is, and how amazing it is that we have the opportunity to protect it forever.

Located at the foot of the famous Coaling on the flats of the Shenandoah River, Lewiston is as beautiful as it is iconic, and it remains unspoiled by time, looking much as it did in 1862. This is because of the care and stewardship of the Kaylor family who has farmed Lewiston for generations. The Kaylors love this farm. To them it has been their livelihood and their home. Now as they look to the future, they want to make sure that their historic property remains farmland forever and that its history is forever preserved. They’ve agreed to partner with us to put the farm under protective easement, ensuring these 170 acres of battlefield remain unchanged.

As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also agreed to allow us to create permanent visitor access to the site.  That means that we will be able to install parking and trails, interpretive signage and markers, and that visitors will be able to visit and learn from the property like never before.  This new access to key parts of the battlefield will allow visitors to walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at Port Republic and view the battlefield from vantage points that before now could only be imagined.  This is a game changer for understanding how the Battle of Port Republic unfolded and will bring new attention to the desperate struggle at Lewiston, Jackson’s victory there, and to one of the most storied campaigns in military history.

Listen, Bob Krick first identified the importance of preserving this farm almost 40 years ago.  Since then, the greatest battlefield preservationists of our time have lent their efforts to getting this done.  Men like Krick and Jack Ackerly, Carrington Williams and Jim Lighthizer, absolute lions in our field, all worked through the years on the idea of protecting Lewiston.  But, in battlefield preservation, like in many things in life, timing is everything – and now is the time. With a little hard work and your help, we can finally preserve the 170-acre Kaylor Tract, the historic Lewiston farm – bringing all of their efforts down through the years to the point of final victory!  

Target Property