Kernstown I (VA101)
March 23,1862
Photo caption goes here.
Description:
The First Kernstown battlefield occupies the open, relatively flat farmlands south and southwest of Winchester along with the southern portion of Old Town Winchester. Except for areas protected by the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and the Kernstown Battlefield Association and its partners, most of the battlefield has been lost to development.
Much of the landscape has been altered and fragmented, leaving some essential features. About 75 percent of the surviving historic landscape is already protected. Given accelerating land development in the area, the chance to preserve the battlefield's few remaining acres with historic integrity may vanish before 2015. The planned widening of I-81, if not designed by preservation advocates and transportation planners to avoid or minimize impacts, will destroy portions of the battlefield landscape.
Study Area (including Core Area)
4,486
Core Area
1,554
Historical Designation:
None
Preservation Challenges:
Development Pressure
I-81 Expansion
Preservation Planning:
No preservation plan in place.
Significance:
The First Battle of Kernstown was Jackson’s only tactical defeat in the Valley. Indeed, this is the only recorded loss of his career. However, it was a strategic victory. President Abraham Lincoln was disturbed by Jackson’s threat to Washington and redirected substantial reinforcements to the Valley, depriving McClellan’s army of these troops. McClellan claimed that the additional troops would have enabled him to take Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign and perhaps even end the war that much earlier.
Visitor Information:
Civil War Orientation Center & Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center
1400 S. Pleasant Valley Road
Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: 877-871-1326
Open Daily: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Self-Guided Tours:
A free printed driving tour of the First Battle of Kernstown is available at the Civil War Orientation Center and other Civil War sites in the area.
