Score one for Battlefield Preservation!

[Quickstep]

Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided that Dominion Transmission Inc. (DTI) must build its natural gas compressor station at a site other than next to the historic Fox’s Tavern, which is close to the South Mountain battlefield at Fox’s Gap.

This culminates a struggle that has been going on for more than 4 years and was included on the Civil War Trust’s Most Endangered sites list for 3 years in a row.
Fox’s Tavern is a historic structure dating to the 1700s. It is still habitable and sits on rolling farmland in the midst of a rural legacy conversation district. It served as a field hospital during the battle of South Mountain and is close to Fox’s Gap.

Four years ago, DTI bought the farmland that includes Fox’s Tavern and announced their plans to build an above-ground natural gas compressor station there. Citizens for the Preservation of Middletown Valley (CPMV) http://www.cpmv.org/ was formed to get the facility relocated. Civil War reenactors held a preservation march on behalf of this effort in 2009. After four years of filings, studies, and campaigning, the CPMV’s efforts have paid off!

(The alternate site chosen by the FERC is zoned commercial, surrounded by other industrial use properties, is adjacent to an interstate highway, and is situated next to a sewer plant.)

[Part Time Patriot]

This is terrific news!! Thanks for the update!


Bill

[Quickstep]

This is terrific news!! Thanks for the update! Bill

Thanks, Bill! This is significant because it is rare for the FERC to go against the plans of a major utility company. Numerous groups around the country have waged similar struggles, only to see an industrial facility like this built against their wishes at an inappropriate location.

There was big money and Federal government power in play here—the farmland with Fox’s Tavern was directly on DTI’s route. With the Federal government’s power of eminent domain behind them, large utility companies are used to getting what they want and rolling right over the protests of local communities.

While the CPMV (www.cpmv.org) is a conservation organization, many of its founders, members, and supporters or their family members are Civil War reenactors, history enthusiasts, or preservationists. They are to be commended for sticking with this fight for so long, putting in thousands of hours on a volunteer basis, and donating considerable amounts of resources and professional expertise to seeing this through.

However, DTI still owns the land and Fox's Tavern. Hopefully, something can be worked out with a preservation group to ensure that the tavern and farmland remain intact and in their natural state.

Having the Civil War community behind the effort made a huge difference—the Civil War Trust’s recognition helped raise awareness that this was not just a piece of farmland, but a piece of American history.