Star Fort Donated to SVBF
Next goal: Interpretation of Site for the Public
For immediate release—September 5, 2007
Contact:
Howard J. Kittell /SVBF (540-740-4545)
WINCHESTER, Va.—Before Robert E. Lee marched his army north into
Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863, he directed his subordinate, Richard S. Ewell, to clear the northern Shenandoah Valley of Union troops. Ewell did just that in what became the Second Battle of Winchester, a feat that required the Southerners’ to push the Federals out of the defensive forts surrounding the city. Remnants of one of these, Star Fort, survive today thanks to the preservation of the site more than 20 years ago by a local reenactor group, the Middlesex Artillery-Fleet’s
Battery .
Today the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and the Middlesex Artillery--joined by representatives of
Frederick
County and a trio of local developers--announced the transfer of the seven-acre site to the Battlefields Foundation.
Nick Nerangis with the Middlesex Artillery said, “The members of Middlesex Artillery are happy to make this donation. It will insure that a very unique part of Civil War architecture and history will be preserved for visitors to our community to enjoy now and in the future.”
Dr.
Irvin Hess , the chairman of the Battlefields Foundation, welcomed the donation and discussed the opportunities the site offers to the community and the region.
“Star Fort is a silent sentinel of the Valley’s past and a significant fragment of our Civil War history,” he said. “The fort’s potential to enhance students’ awareness of topography and its effect on tactics is superb.”
In addition, 1.6 acres adjacent to the site were donated to the Battlefields Foundation by local developers Richard Hardison, Byron Brill, and Carlin Smith to serve as a buffer between the fort area and the surrounding modern development.
Hess noted the variety of partners involved in this project. “The combination of private and public funds—both local and federal—is a wonderful example of partnership in action for cultural preservation and the creation of a green area and future tourist attraction,” he said.
“The Battlefields Foundation is grateful for the trust exhibited by these two donations,” said
Howard Kittell , Foundation executive director. “The preservation and interpretation of the Valley’s Civil War history would not be possible without the contribution of private efforts like these.”
In 2000,
Frederick
County , with the support of the Middlesex Artillery, developed a plan for Star Fort that recommended a phased approach to the management and interpretation of the site. Implementing the plan will be the Foundation’s goal.
Richard Shickle , chairman of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, said, “The restoration and preservation of Star Fort has been the dream of many people for as long as I can remember. I am very pleased that we are taking this step forward and I am anxiously waiting for the day when this unique piece of local history can be enjoyed and experienced by everyone. We all need to commit to making this project a reality.”
Star Fort is one of the many defensive forts constructed around
Winchester during the American Civil War. It was built in late 1861 or early 1862 by Confederates under Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and was garrisoned by March 1862. The fort—like all of the defensive fortifications around
Winchester —was enhanced and occupied by subsequent armies from both sides.
Before the Second Battle of Winchester (13-15 June 1863), Union troops occupied the city and its surrounding defenses. Over the course of three days, the highly mobile Confederates managed to push the Northerners out of their fortifications. The battle ended in a complete rout of the Union division stationed at
Winchester and elevated Southern hopes for a successful invasion of the North by Lee’s army.
Today, Star Fort is one of the few intact fortifications remaining around the city. Like
Fort
Collier , its sister to the east, it contains a system of extant earthworks that will help visitors understand the challenges of defending the northernmost city in the Confederacy.
“We are well aware of the importance of this site and the story it tells,” said Kittell. “We look forward to collaborating with the Middlesex Artillery,
Frederick
County , and other partners as we work to get the site interpreted and open to the public.”
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A high-resolution conceptual map of the site from the 2000 management and interpretation plan may be downloaded below—please note that the file is large (9mb).
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As authorized by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation serves as the non-profit manager of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, partnering with local, regional, and national organizations and governments to preserve the Valley’s battlefields and interpret and promote the region’s Civil War story.
Created by Congress in 1996, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District encompasses Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties in Virginia and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and
Winchester . The legislation authorizes federal funding for the protection of ten battlefields in the District: Second Winchester, Third Winchester, Second Kernstown, Cedar Creek, Fisher’s Hill, Tom’s Brook, New Market, Cross Keys,
Port
Republic , and McDowell.
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ON THE WEB:
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District:
www.ShenandoahAtWar.org
National Park Service 1992 study of the Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War battlefields:
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/shenandoah/svs0-1.html
Second Battle of Winchester: www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/shenandoah/svs3-7.html
Frederick County:
www.co.frederick.va.us
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Support the Battlefields Foundation’s work at Star Fort – click here to make donation online.
Download the supporting file for this release
