Henrico battlefields among recipients of Virginia preservation funds 

An 11-acre tract in Henrico County associated with several Civil War battles is one of eight projects to receive a portion of more than $1.3 million in grant funds awarded through the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund program.

Associated with the Battles of Glendale, Malvern Hill, Deep Bottom I, and Deep Bottom II, the 11.37-acre Henrico property will benefit from an $80,000 grant through the nonprofit American Battlefield Trust to help with permanent preservation and battlefield interpretation.

The VBPF projects were selected based on each battlefield’s significance and ranking in Congress’s Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. Among other factors considered were proximity of battlefield parcels to already-protected lands; the threat of encroaching development that could transform a parcel’s historic look and feel at the time of a battle; and the potential for education, recreation, research, or heritage tourism in connection with a battlefield tract.

In addition to supporting heritage tourism, the preservation of battlefield lands also supports many conservation and recreational goals. Preserved battlefield acreage protects open space, agricultural properties, wetlands, timberlands, water quality, wildlife habitats, and recreational spaces near or within growing urban areas.

The Department of Historic Resources will administer the grants. For details, visit dhr.virginia.gov.