Civil War site near planned Wal-Mart put on at-risk list

A major battlefield that straddles Orange and Spotsylvania counties is among 10 Civil War sites considered endangered, according to a report released Wednesday by a nonprofit preservation group.

At a press conference in Washington, the Civil War Preservation Trust said Wilderness battlefield is threatened by a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter near the intersection of Routes 3 and 20.

At the time of the war, the site upon which Wal-Mart wants to build was behind Union lines. The area saw no fighting, but Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his staff observed the battle from a knoll on that location.

Today, the intersection already includes a Sheetz gas station, 7-Eleven and McDonald’s, among other buildings. Preservationists fear Wal-Mart’s presence would lead to more traffic and a further loss of the area’s rural character.

Local historian Zann Miner, president of Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, was among those present at the press conference, along with CWPT President James Lighthizer and actor Richard Dreyfuss.

“Since its founding, the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield has been dedicated to preservation, education and restoration of the battlefield,” Miner said. “Our all-voluntary group works tirelessly with the National Park Service to ensure that the history of this battlefield and its invaluable and irreplaceable resources will be here for many future generations.

“The battlefield’s inclusion in the CWPT report is an important acknowledgement of the intense pressure facing the area.”

Wilderness battlefield is part of the National Park Service’s Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

Wal-Mart has petitioned the Orange County government to rezone the area to allow construction of its 140,000-square-foot retail and grocery store. If Wal-Mart gets the green light, other businesses would occupy the shopping center, which would sit about a quarter of a mile north of Route 3.

In addition to the CWPT, the “Wilderness Wal-Mart,” as it has come to be known, has drawn opposition from a wealth of organizations, politicians and historians across the nation.

“These hallowed battlegrounds should be national shrines, monuments to American valor, determination and courage,” Dreyfuss said Wednesday. “Once these irreplaceable treasures are gone, they’re gone forever.”

The sites in the report range from the famous to the nearly forgotten. All, however, share a critical feature according to battlefield supporters — at least part of each site is in danger of being lost forever.

The sites were chosen based on geographic location, military significance and the immediacy of current threats.