Who we are.

Why we're here.

And where we want to be.

Fierce battles were fought across much of the nation during the Civil War. The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in particular, saw some of the most significant action. Over 325 armed conflicts took place here—the city of Winchester alone changed hands over 70 times between 1861 and 1865.

Today, this historic landscape is increasingly threatened. To protect this national resource, the United States Congress created the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District in 1996 to ensure that future generations would be able to explore the Valley’s Civil War heritage and more fully understand the impact of the Civil War on the American experience.

Learn more about our history, our work, and what you can do to help.

A Little History

Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 campaign, Lee’s drive toward Gettysburg, and Sheridan’s 1864 Valley campaign all played key roles in the course of the Civil War. Today visitors are able to view the landscape much as it was seen by soldiers and civilians during the important Civil War campaigns in the Valley.

Congress created the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District—one of only 23 National Heritage Areas—in 1996. The District encompasses Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester.

Congress also established the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Commission and tasked it with developing a proposal to preserve, conserve, and interpret the Valley’s Civil War legacy. Over the next three years, the Commission—made up of 19 citizens representing Valley residents, historians, and local governments—developed a Management Plan for the Civil War battlefields and the District in the Shenandoah Valley. The plan was approved by the Secretary of the Interior and promulgated in the fall of 2000.

The plan called for the creation of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation as the non-profit “management entity” for the District. Accordingly, the Foundation was established in 2000 as the organization responsible for implementing the District’s Management Plan. Both the legislation and the plan direct the Foundation to provide the leadership and public-private partnerships necessary to implement the plan.

The plan also structures the District according to five geographic groupings, or clusters. Each cluster consists of battlefields, nearby towns and other visitor sites. At its core, the plan’s approach is to encourage and facilitate the efforts of local organizations and governments to be strong and effective stewards of this important national resource. The District will serve as a national model for regional resource preservation.

(To download the Executive Summary of the "Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Management Plan", click here. For a copy of the full Management Plan (204 pages), please write to the Foundation at: PO Box 897, New Market, Virginia 22844.)

Our Work

The work of the Battlefields Foundation is divided into three topical areas:

1.    Resource Protection: Working with landowners and other partners, the Foundation seeks to protect the Valley’s battlefields and historic character. The Foundation focuses on the 21,000 acres of land retaining historic integrity on the 10 legislated battlefields. This is done collaboratively through the purchase of land and conservation easements from willing sellers. The Foundation also works with local governments to improve the planning and preservation protections that will help to insure the survival of the battlefields.

2.    Interpretation and Education: In addition to protecting this “outdoor classroom”, the Foundation is developing programs to interpret the rich Civil War history of the Valley and assisting its partners in the National Historic District to expand their interpretive and educational programs.

3.   Visitors Services and Promotion: As part of its economic development mission, the Foundation is developing the materials and strategies that it hopes will make the Shenandoah Valley a major destination for Civil War travelers.

Through all of its programs, grants to partners, and other activities, the Foundation seeks partners – federal, state and local governments, civic organizations, and individuals – to work with it to accomplish its legislated mission of preserving the nation’s Civil War legacy.

Supporting Preservation—What You Can Do

Please enjoy exploring our website and come back often as its offerings are expanded.

Visit the Shenandoah Valley and experience its unique Civil War heritage. As more sites in the District are preserved and opened for interpretation, you’ll be able to experience and explore Civil War stories through orientation centers, trails, historical sites, and other attractions that center around the five clusters and the fourteen battlefields in the Valley. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in the stories, relive the history, and develop a deeper understanding of Shenandoah at War.

The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is a non-profit organization. To make a tax-deductible contribution to our preservation efforts, please contact us at the address below.

Thank you for visiting us!

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
PO Box 897
New Market, Virginia 22844
(888) 689-4545