 Harpers Ferry Opportunity
Beat the developers, and stop the desecration of America's hallowed ground. Help save 13 acres at Harpers Ferry—a true nexus of the American story.
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From Our President 
September 2014
Dear Civil War Preservationist,
I urge you to please take a moment to come back in time with me to a place of unparalleled historic significance and importance to the study of the Civil War—and to our nation. The site of John Brown's doomed 1859 raid, and the site where, three years later, Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson maneuvered his forces to trigger what would be the largest capitulation of U.S. troops until the Second World War. A site, in other words, of a tremendous amount of American history.
In 2013, however, this property was rezoned to permit commercial use and earlier this year, a traffic light was installed adjacent to the property, making it very attractive for commercial development. But if we move quickly, we have the chance to save this land, which is not only adjacent to hallowed ground you and I have already saved, but is also visible from just about every other part of the Harpers Ferry battlefield.
The landowner has received legitimate offers to develop the property as a business park/travel plaza, but is giving us the opportunity to buy it and save it first. The purchase price is a hefty but fair $2,425,000 for the thirteen acres of hallowed ground, the original and historic Allstadt house, and tavern buildings, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The exciting news is that we have fully 95 percent of the necessary funds lined up and ready to go, and can declare this hallowed ground saved forever if we can come up with the final 5 percent, or $125,000. Please consider standing with me to save this crucial piece of land before it's too late. Save Harpers Ferry »
- Jim Lighthizer, Civil War Trust President
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Civil War preservation news from around the country
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Wednesday, September 17, 2014
From the Trenches: Civil War Trust September 2014
