A plea for preservation

A steady drizzle did nothing to dampen the pleas of a famous descendant of a Confederate general, politicians, activists and preservationists at a news conference May 4 held at historic Ellwood in Orange County, coinciding with the 145th anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness.
The press conference was hosted by the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, a group of nine preservation, conservation and civic organizations. Participating organizations include the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield, the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, the Civil War Preservation Trust, Friends of Fredericksburg Area Battlefields, the National Coalition for History, the National Parks Conservation Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Piedmont Environmental Council and Preserve Virginia.
Speakers, which included Academy Award winner Robert Duvall, along with congressmen from Texas and Vermont and Friends of Wilderness Battlefield representatives spoke out against a proposed 138,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter. As planned, the big-box store would be built on a Route 3 site near Wilderness Battlefield in Orange County.
"The Walmart corporation has it within its power its power to be a savior of the Wilderness Battlefield," said Duvall, whose ancestors include Gen. Robert E. Lee. "Simply by moving to an alternate location slightly further down from the battlefield, they have the ability to protect this critical piece of American history for generations to come."
Similar appeals were made by U.S. Congressmen Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont). Both political leaders have been involved in the campaign to relocate the proposed super center since plans to build the store were announced last year. Earlier this year, the congressmen drafted a letter to Walmart executives, urging them to reconsider the location for the proposed store.
"This land, like other battlefields in our country, is consecrated with the blood of Americans. Many are still buried here and known only to God," Poe said. "We owe these Americans the right to keep this battlefield preserved for history and not to have a corporation, like Walmart, lay asphalt over their graves. I feel the definition of corporate responsibility must always extend to respecting America's hallowed grounds. Those values should not be eroded for the sake of Walmart's commercial gain."
"I am hopeful that Walmart can appreciate out state's crucial role in saving the Union," Welch said. "I am hopeful that Walmart will respect the history and tradition of the Wilderness site and reconsider its plan to build a store in such close proximity to this treasured landmark."
Zan Miner, president of Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, said the intent of the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield was not to prevent development in Orange County.
"Instead, we simply ask county officials and developers to weigh all options and their consequences before breaking ground," Miner explained. "Once intense development begins near the battlefield, it will be all but impossible to stop. And once this hallowed ground is paved over, it is lost forever," she added.
The proposed site for the Walmart store is located near the intersection of Route 3 and Route 20 in Orange, on land that is already zoned for commercial development. Per Orange County's large retail use ordinance, Walmart is required to obtain a special use permit prior to construction. The first in a series of public hearings before county officials is planned for the May 21 Orange County Planning Commission meeting.