1.Annual Conference
In April,more than 100 CVBT Preservation Partners gathered for a
weekend of history and tours, focusing on the “Opening of the Overland
Campaign” on the 155th Anniversary of that event.
2.Fifth Corps/Brock Road Tract
The Fifth Corps Tract along historic Brock Road has been officially secured
and paid for! The site played an important part in the Battle of Spotsylvania,
and now the 14.4 acres where Union troops rallied for attack has been
saved. Thank you for supporting this preservation project.
3.Fifth Corps Tract’s Structure Demolition
Once a piece of battleground has been
preserved and the funding is available,
CVBT starts the process of returning
the land to its 1860’s appearance. It
was an exciting moment in November
when the demolition of a 20th Century
structure at the Fifth Corps/Brock Road
Tract took place.
4.On The Front Line Magazine
CVBT’s former mailed communications—Skirmish Line and the
Fredericksburg Journal—were costly to produce, but we still wanted to
publish and share preservation news and fascinating articles.On The Front
Line Magazine offers breathtaking photos, articles by respected historians,
and preservation updates in each issue. Currently published twice per year,
the Winter and Summer 2019 were very popular and also made a splash
when with shared with colleagues in preservation.
5.Youth Day
In November, students from local high schools, living historians, and the
CVBT team met at Pelham’s Corner for a day of maintenance. The group
cleaned the site, planted trees and shrubs, and talked about the history that
happened there. At the end of the work, the students had the opportunity to
take a tour at the Sunken Road.
6.Touring Myer’s Hill
Myer’s Hill is the site of “forgotten
fighting” during the Battle of
Spotsylvania.CVBT is in the
process of preserving and retiring
the debt for several tracts of key
battlefield at this location. This
year—for the first time—a large
tour group of preservation partners
with historians and researchers
toured the property, learning about its significance and seeing this special
piece of land.
7.New Staff
This summer Terry Rensel journeyed from Alaska to join CVBT as the new
executive director. With his background in non-profit fundraising and vast
interest in history, Terry is bringing new energy and ideas to the battlefield
preservation community. In the autumn, Sarah Kay Bierle joined CVBT as
the new assistant to the executive director; she has a background in social
media, communications, event planning, and has authored several history
books. CVBT looks forward to a fast-paced future with this team who are
already working behind the scenes to secure land for preservation!
8.Preservation Awareness Outreach
We know that you love CVBT...but there are still a lot of people who have
not heard about our work at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness,
and Spotsylvania. One of the board’s goals is to raise awareness to our mission,
challenges, and successes through outreach at events or community projects. This
year CVBT had several history and
preservation articles appear in local and
national publications, interviewed for a local
radio station, and set up an outreach table at
several historical events.
9.CVBT Represented at Round Tables and Conferences
We’re excited to “get out there” and talk to Civil War Round Tables and
share the Central Virginia preservation news at history conferences. CVBT
board members Chris Mackowski and Robert Lee Hodge have been
leading this charge, sharing about the mission at their lectures and handing
out lots of rack cards. We’ve met lots of new Preservation Partners...
10.Abundance of News
This autumn CVBT started trialing some new communications plans,
including a monthly e-newsletter and focused social media posts. We’ve
got so much history and preservation notes to share and are seeking the
best ways to make that information available and accessible! We promise
not to flood your inbox,and we are thrilled to have the option for regular
communications with our Preservation Partners.
With your help, we continue to work toward the retirement of our debt for
the Spotsylvania Myer’s Hill property, and, with grants on the horizon, this
will be realized soon. But there is no rest for the weary, and CVBT is
working on multiple opportunities at several battlefields. We look forward to
seeing what 2020 will bring and what preservation victories can be
achieved.Thank you for being part of saving history!
Everyday, Civil War battleground is lost. We save it.
Learn more:www.cvbt.org @vabattlestrust
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