Partner with the Town of Middletown to Save 23 Acres of the Cedar Creek Battlefield

As always, things are moving fast here in the Valley, and right on the heels of our campaign to save the Rice property in New Market we have the opportunity to preserve 23 acres of core battlefield at Cedar Creek!  Just in time for the 160th anniversary of the battle, we have partnered with Mayor Harbaugh and the town council of Middletown to protect two parcels in the heart of the battlefield and in the center of the town itself.  The town purchased 20 of these acres and had another 3 acres donated to them by a local developer, creating a 23-acre tract that could be utilized in any number of ways.

Just steps off Main Street and immediately adjacent to the historic Wayside Inn, the mixed-use development potential of the property is extremely high.  Townhomes, single family houses, and commercial development are all possible uses for the site.  Located along an active rail line, shipping or light industrial facilities are not out of the question.  But, thankfully, the people of Middletown value their community’s history and the national importance of the battle that was fought through their streets.  They understand that in a state where tourism is such a major driver of the economy, preservation is more about the future of their town than its past.

The first step is for you and me to purchase a preservation easement on the property to ensure that it is forever protected.  We’ve spent the last few months negotiating an easement with the town that will keep these 23 acres permanently preserved as open space with public access and battlefield interpretation.  We need to raise $100,000 to purchase the easement from Middletown and kick off this amazing partnership project. 

Now, here’s the great thing . . .  if we raise the $100,000, every dime that we give the town will be spent to develop the 23 acres into a battlefield park!  Middletown has agreed to dedicate the funds generated through the sale of the easement to clear portions of the property, install interpretive trials and signage, and restore landscape features that were present at the time of the battle.  The funds will give the town the opportunity to apply for matching grants available to Virginia municipalities, creating the potential to double the money available for the project.  This means that every dollar you contribute to this project will be used twice, once to preserve the property and again to open the property as a battlefield park!  And, if the town is successful in securing matching grant funding, the impact of your gift will be multiplied even more. 

Map of battle with Target Properties in yellow

I’m asking you to please join this fight by making a contribution today.  I’ll go even further and challenge you to do all you can, and to get your gift to us before the anniversary of the battle!  The best way to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek and to honor those who fought there is to wage our own fight to save the land where “all gave some and some gave all.”  I hope you take part in this campaign and I hope to see you at our commemorative events at Tom’s Brook and Cedar Creek.