WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — A significant portion of Williamsburg’s historic Civil War battlefield was recently purchased to be secured for preservation.
The American Battlefield Trust bought the 29 acres in the area of the “Bloody Ravine” from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The Virginia Gazette reported. Funding came from grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program and the commonwealth of Virginia, in addition to money raised by the Battlefield Trust.
The land was zoned for commercial used and valued at $2,743,000. Located about 1 mile from the city’s historic area and primarily within the city limits, the land is pristine and looks much as it did 158 years ago when the battle took place, according to the newspaper.
“Sometimes the stars align, and that certainly felt like the case with this project,” David Duncan, president of the Battlefield Trust, said in a statement. He stressed that the value of the commercial property was “eye-popping.”
While some scattered parcels of land where the Battle of Williamsburg took place were preserved over the years, most traces were erased with the construction of subdivisions and shopping centers.
