Group Forms to Save Battlefield from Mixed-Use Development

CHANCELLORSVILLE, VA-Conservationists have banded together to form The Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield to stave off the proposed commercial and residential development of the Civil War site where Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was killed by friendly fire, and Gen. Robert E. Lee saw one of his greatest victories. A developer has proposed to use 800 acres of the land to create a mixed-use community of three million sf of office and retail space, and 2,350 homes.

The group will officially announce its formation on July 31. Already, seven organizations have committed to join forces in preserving the historic site, including: the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust; the Civil War Preservation Trust; Friends of Fredericksburg Area Battlefields; the National Parks Conservation Association; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the Spotsylvania Battlefield Education Association; and the Spotsylvania Preservation Foundation Inc. The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors is considering a rezoning request of the area to accommodate the proposed development.