Saving History Saturday: Preservation Virginia’s Most Endangered Sites Listing

May was National Historic Preservation Month, and each year Preservation Virginia puts out its list of most endangered sites. Starting in 2000, by the Preservation Alliance of Virginia, one hundred and seventy-one endangered sites have been listed. There are eleven sites on this year’s list.

Two Civil War battlefields are on the list this year. Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Brandy Station Battlefield are both listed this year.

Manassas, in Prince William County, saw over 28,000 casualties between the two battles that were fought there. The Brandy Station Battlefield, is part of the proposed Culpepper Battlefield State Park, was the site of the largest cavalry battle that has ever taken place on American soil. The nearby Hansbrough Ridge is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places,

Both sites are threatened by the proposed construction of mega data center complexes and the powerlines and substations that would be needed to support them. The proposed construction would alter the historic landscapes that are associated with these battlefields, as well as impact the agricultural and rural character of the areas.

More than 50% of the sites that have made Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places list have been saved, 10% have been lost, while the remaining sites continue to be monitored. You can find out more about Preservation Virginia and this year’s endangered sites list here.