|
That question was recently asked
by a local reporter of one of the Save the Franklin Battlefield (STFB)
board members. His reply, “No way - battlefield preservation is not a
destination, it is a journey.”
We at STFB feel that battlefield preservation should never end. As long as
there is an opportunity to preserve a piece of land that saw the sacrifice
of men from both side of the issue fighting for what they believed, we
think that their sacrifice should be memorialized for generations to come.
It is never too late to recover a piece of property. Although the property
may have been used as something else over the years, if it becomes
available and can be added to existing park or private battlefield
holdings, the effort should be made to preserve it. Recent acquisitions on
behalf of the Gettysburg National Park are an example of land that had
another use before being recovered and added to the national park system.
Recently, the train station where President Abraham Lincoln arrived to
deliver his Gettysburg Address was added to Gettysburg National Park. This
was made possible through the involvement of city (borough in the case of
Pennsylvania) government who chose to remain involved in preservation
rather than detach itself from heritage preservation. The Borough is
cognizant of the significant monetary contributions that heritage tourism
brings not only to the borough but to the state. The Borough could have
sold the property for commercial development, but chose instead to sell it
to the National Park Service at a fraction of its commercial value. Though
there has been support from the city here in Franklin in the past, that
support is still essential.
A property, in private holdings, once lost to incompatible development can
destroy park views, undermine a visitor’s experience and often adversely
impact the area's environment. There is significant battlefield property
in private hands today.
Such property is not considered lost. If it were to become available in
the future, it could be added to existing battlefield land that is
currently preserved. Land in private hand does not have to be sold or lost
by its current owners. That property can be preserved through use of a
conversation easement. A conservation easement can protect the parcel of
land from future development and will preserve the historical integrity
for generations to come. Such actions were recently undertaken by two
resident of Thompson’s Station when they placed an easement on
approximately 150 acres of land that were ground zero for the Battle of
Thompson Station in 1863. They are to be commended for their actions, and
hopefully serve as an example to others in the area.
STFB, Franklin's Charge and the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and
Williamson County are the preservation organizations in the Franklin and
Williamson County area that are actively engaged in preservation, both
heritage preservation and historic preservation. There have been successes
that could be attributed individually to each organization, however this
is not about individual efforts rather it is about joint efforts to
preserve our history and heritage in Franklin and Williamson County.
Looking specifically at battlefield preservation the following was
recently authored by David Fraley, a local historian and preservationist:
|
|
|
Preservation is not over in Franklin and Williamson
County. As long as there is an opportunity to preserve battlefield land,
those of us in the pursuit of preserving our heritage will continue to do
so. In order to be successful in this endeavor, we will need the continued
support of like minded individuals throughout the city, county, state and
these glorious United States who like us believe the paraphrased words of
the immortal Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over ‘til its over.” |
|