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Trust, developer strike deal to preserve battlefield's core
Prince William County's historic Bristoe Station battlefield will be developed, but a portion of the land will have a Civil War park.Date published: 3/22/2002
Never are both developers and preservationists happy when historic land is rezoned for houses and businesses. But there's a first time for everything. The Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to rezone a 341-acre tract south of Manassas near the intersection of State Route 28 and Bristow Road. The land had been zoned agricultural. Much of it will soon be a mix of commercial and residential development. The catch, however, is that the developer, Dallas-based Centex Homes, has agreed to give 127 acres of the tract to the Civil War Preservation Trust for a battlefield park. "In most cases, we're actually fighting developers," said Jim Campi, a spokesman for the trust, a Washington-based group with more than 32,000 members in the U.S. and abroad. "But most are not as sensitive to the needs of his-toric preservation." Centex sought out a number of preservation groups when it started its development plans in the region. "We approach each project recognizing an area's unique characteristics," said Stephen Fritz, vice president of marketing and land for Centex's division office in Chantilly. Fritz said Centex has a long standing relationship with The Nature Conservancy. In fact, Centex Homes donates $35 to the nonprofit conservation group for every new house bought from the company. Campi said a park will be designed on the acreage where the most intense fighting occurred during the 1863 Battle of Bristoe Station. Today, the site is a mix of woods and open farm land dotted with some houses. Other than the small village where Bristow Road crosses the railroad tracks, there's little for visitors to see. About a mile from the core of the battlefield--along State Route 28--are two historical markers noting the fighting at Bristoe Station in 1862 and 1863. The Bristoe Station Battlefield Park will consist of interpretive trails with wayside signs. "People can really come out and understand what happened there," Campi said. The park will also include a cemetery containing remains of Confederate soldiers who died in battle and from diseases that swept through Civil War camps. Anywhere from 200 to 500 remains are believed to be buried around Bristoe Station. An archaeological survey will be done to find all of the remains on land that will be developed.
Date published: 3/22/2002
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