Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., announced Monday that he will introduce legislation to preserve The Journey Through Hallowed Ground, a historic 175-mile corridor between Gettysburg, Pa., and Charlottesville, Va.
“The Journey Through Hallowed Ground holds more American history than any other region in the country and its recognition as a National Heritage Area will elevate it in national prominence,” Wolf said at a news conference at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg.
The plantation, built in 1804, is one of 13 National Historic Landmarks within the corridor. Several homes of U.S. presidents, Civil War battlefields, and black and American Indian historic sites are included in the corridor.
“It has been through history a place to harbor and save our American ideals,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership president.
Ten months ago, the corridor was on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of the 11 most endangered historical places in America, said Richard Moe, National Trust president.
“Development pressures and the lack of comprehensive planning have threatened to destroy the area’s character and overwhelm four centuries of history in a tidal wave of sprawl,” Moe said.
The designation helps link national parks to historical sites, package tourism, manage growth and provide financial and technical support for sites along Route 15, he said. The designation does not override local land use laws to federally protect the land.
“While we are going to achieve the ultimate objective of sharing our American heritage with generations to come, we also have the added benefit that we are supporting our existing businesses,” said the Thomas Jefferson Foundation’s Kat Imoff, who listed historical sites, rural landscapes and the hospitality industry as businesses that will benefit from the additional tourism.
If approved, The Journey Through Hallowed Ground would be the nation’s 28th National Heritage Area.
