Varina man donates 28 acres in New Market Heights Battlefield to Capital Region Land Conservancy

A fourth-generation Varina man whose family established Four Mile Creek Farm more than 130 years ago has donated 28 acres of land at the 73-acre site to the Capital Region Land Conservancy.

Howard C. Eberly III made the announcement Saturday morning during an event at the Dorey Park Farmers Market in Varina.

Eberly and his sister jointly own the farm’s remaining 45 acres, and he and CRLC have entered into a pledge agreement through which his ownership would be transferred to the land trust at a later date.

The gift to CRLC provides assurances that the property will be protected while Eberly continues to live at his family home. In addition to protecting the property from development in perpetuity, CRLC has committed to keep the Eberly name associated with the property and to open the site for future public access and coordinate with adjacent lands owned by Henrico County that are identified as the future New Market Park.

“Growing up on this property and in Varina, I have always appreciated the access to history that I have had and the important role the land has played in my life,” Eberly said. “I have wanted to see this farm protected from development and to be part of a larger initiative to preserve the historic landscape so visitors can experience where Native American Indians settled, or where canals were dug by enslaved Africans to support commercial flour milling operations, or where the USCT prevailed at New Market Heights.

“It’s my honor to make this gift in recognition of my parents, grandparents and great grandparents who cared equally for this land.”

Four Mile Creek Farm is one of Virginia’s most important sites to conserve, according to CRLC officials, and ranks within the top 10% in numerous categories among all land in Virginia to protect.

Most notably, the property is within the core battlefield of the New Market Heights Battlefield and the scene of the fighting on Sept. 29, 1864, when U.S. Colored Troops broke though Confederate defenses for their greatest victory of the Civil War and one that led directly to the fall of Petersburg and subsequently Richmond. For their valor, 14 USCT members were awarded the Medal of Honor.

The property also falls within the National Park Service’s legislative boundary for acquisition and inclusion into the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Within its 1995 Management Plan, NPS calls for “a new unit would be added to interpret the action at New Market Heights under alternative C. Staffed year-round, it would have wayside exhibits to explain the battle action, the heroism of United States Colored Troops in the engagement, and their growing acceptance in the Union army.”

“The New Market Heights Battlefield is an important historical and cultural site in our Commonwealth, where brave U.S. Colored Troops heroically fought back against the Confederacy,” said Rep. A. Donald McEachin (Virginia-4th District). “I applaud the Eberly family for its generosity in donating the Four Mile Creek Farm to the Capital Region Land Conservancy, and I am confident CRLC will effectively care for and preserve the history of the property and the Varina area. We must continue working to share the USCT’s untold history of heroism and leadership during the Civil War.”

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s ConserveVirginia 3.0 model identifies Four Mile Creek Farm as a top priority for its Cultural and Historic Preservation, Natural Habitat and Ecosystem Diversity, Protected Landscapes Resilience, Scenic Preservation and Water Quality Improvement categories, making it a critical property. The view of Four Mile Creek Farm adds to the qualities of the Route 5 State Scenic Byway and Virginia Capital Trail, and the property falls entirely within the National Audubon Society’s Lower James River Important Bird Area, supporting the densest piscivorous bird community in Virginia. The property also contains 17 acres of prime farmland.

“For more than a century, the Eberly family has stewarded Four Mile Creek Farm in the core of the New Market Heights Battlefield. It’s a duty and an honor that they are now passing on to CRLC,” said Parker C. Agelasto, executive director of CRLC. “We are privileged to be a trusted community partner who can help fulfill Howard’s vision to build resilience to the landscape and bolster the public appreciation for Varina’s history and the U.S. Colored Troops as well as connect an ecologically rich environment.”