The Battlefields

Many of the Valley’s battlefields look much as they did during the war.  The region’s farm economy kept most of these landscapes rural and agricultural.  Several battles, such as Front Royal, First Winchester, and Waynesboro, took place on town and city streets and they long ago lost much of the historic character that existed during the war.

As we have moved into a new century, the Valley has experienced pressure from expanding population centers, transportation corridors, and a small but growing cultural shift from farming to industry—all of which can present threats to battlefield landscapes that had until now been mostly unchanged.

Many of the Valley’s communities have expressed interest in protecting the historic and cultural resources that make them unique—including their battlefields—as they consider how to accommodate the growth that they are experiencing, 

The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation works to provide resources to help them accomplish these goals for all of the Valley’s battlefields and the related Civil War sites.  The Foundation is authorized by Congress to expend federal funds specifically at ten: Cedar Creek, Cross Keys, Fisher’s Hill, Kernstown II, McDowell, New Market, Port Republic, Tom’s Brook, and Winchester I, II, and III.  It augments these funds with other public grants and private donations.