HRAB 06-19-07 Meeting AgendaCOUNTY of FREDERICK
Department of Planning and Development
540/665-565t
FAX: 540/665-6395
MEMORANDUM
TO: Historic Resources Advisory Board
FROM: Lauren E. Krempa, Planning Technician t
RE: June Meeting Agenda
DATE: June 11, 2007
The Frederick County Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB) will be meeting on
Tuesday, June 19th2007 at 6:30 .m., in the Board of Supervisors Executive Session
Room* in the Frederick County Administration Building, 107 North Kent Street,
Winchester, Virginia. The HRAB will discuss the following items:
AGENDA
1. May 2007 Minutes
2. Comprehensive Policy Plan Update
3. Other
Please contact this office if you will not be able to attend the meeting. Thank you.
*PLEASE NOTE MEETING LOCATION
Access to this building is limited during the evening hours. Therefore, it will be
necessary to enter the building through the rear door of the Board Room. I would
encourage committee members to park in the county parking lot located behind the
new addition (accessible off of Cameron Street).
LEK/bad
Attachments
107 North Kent Street, Suite 202 ® Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000
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Frederick County Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB)
May 15, 2007, 6:30pm
Held in the Board of Supervisors Executive Session Room of the County
Administrative Building at 107 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA
Members Present: Rhoda Kriz (Chairman), Elizabeth Fravel (Vice -Chairman), Stacey
Yost, Mary Turner, Martin Killingbeck, Claus Bader, Maral Kalbian (Consultant), Gary
Oates (Planning Commission Liaison).
Members Absent: Virginia McClure.
Staff. Lauren Krempa, Planning Technician
Agenda Items: April 2007 Minutes, Member Roster Update, Shady Elm Rezoning
(presented by PHR&A), Villages at Opequon Rezoning Proposal (presented by PHR&A).
Other: N/A
The meeting began at 6:32 P.M. The first item of the agenda was the approval of the
April 2007 minutes. Mr. Bader motioned to approve with spelling corrections, the motion
was seconded by Ms. Fravel, and the minutes were unanimously approved with
corrections to the spelling of Ms. Kalbian's name.
The second agenda item was an evaluation of the proposed Shady Elm Rezoning,
submitted by PHR&A; Mr. Patrick Sowers was available to represent the applicant and
made a brief presentation. Mr. Sowers stated that he did notify the Kernstown
Battlefield Association of this proposal where it was confirmed that this property is not in
the core area of a battle field. Ms. Fravel asked if the house on the property would be
removed, Mr. Sowers responded that it would be removed for a B3 use and there were no
plans to repair. Chairman Kriz asked if the house was occupied when the Rural
Landmarks Survey was completed. Ms. Kalbian said she thought it was and asked if this
property was within the County's SWSA. Mr. Sowers stated that it was within the
SWSA. Ms. Kalbian asked about the possibility of an additional buffer. Mr. Bader asked
about the County's Comprehensive Plan in relation to this rezoning. Mr. Sowers stated
that the Plan calls for industrial and the Easter Road Plan calls for a collector road along
the edge of the property. Commissioner Oates stated that the Carbaugh property
adjoining this proposal was a consideration for the FBI site. Ms. Fravel stated that she
thought a phase one archeological study would be appropriate based on the proximity to
the battlefield area. Chairman Kriz asked if any had been done previously and if the
KBA had recommended anything. Mr. Sowers stated that the KBA wouldn't issue
formal comments but that a basic archeological study was the recommendation. Mr.
Sowers reiterated that no fighting was done on the property, at best soldiers walked
across this site. Ms. Kalbian stated that a phase one survey would document the house
before it is removed. Chairman Kriz stated that any time a house with history is
destroyed an archeological survey should be done. Ms. Kalbian estimated the age of the
house between 1880 and 1910 based on the frame and said it would be easy to determine
if it was older.
Ms. Kalbian asked if there were any barns or outbuildings. Mr. Sowers responded that
there were a few small sheds and a newer house on the property. Chairman Kriz stated
that a buffer would be good but may be a moot point due to the major collector road
planned. Mr. Bader stated that there would be a buffer between the B3 and RA districts
by ordinance requirement. Mr. Sowers stated that the road between the two properties
may eliminate the need for a buffer.
There being no other comments, staff informed Mr. Sowers that he would receive a letter
with the HRAB's recommendations.
The next agenda item was The Villages at Opequon rezoning, also presented by PHR&A
and represented by Mr. Sowers. Mr. Sowers gave a brief presentation and asked for
questions and comments from the HRAB.
Ms. Kalbian asked about the recreation area on the generalized development plan (GDP)
and a possible reservation area. Mr. Sowers stated that this would be located near Eddys
Lane. Ms. Turner stated that she had an issue with the name of project since there is
already a Historic Opequon Village in the Back Creek District. Mr. Sowers said he could
talk to the developers about changing the name and also noted that this project was
outside any battlefield study areas. Mr. Bader asked if the Haggerty property was doing
anything for preservation on an adjoining property. Mr. Sowers responded that the
Haggerty project didn't come to the HRAB for comments but the house on that site will
be removed. Ms. Kalbian stated that this house dated from the 1880s with the Victorian
porch and metal roof. She recommended documenting the house and doing research on
the deed for a historic context of the property. Ms. Kalbian stated that it would be ideal
to work the house into the recreational area. Mr. Bader stated that it would be difficult to
use as a club house because of current codes and standards.
Ms. Kalbian recommended reexamining the property for significance in the property
owners. Chairman Kriz stated that the hill provides a natural buffer and Mr. Sowers
confirmed. Ms. Kalbian asked if it was adjacent to Valley Mill Farm and Mr. Sowers
stated that it was and the applicant would plant extra trees along the shared property line.
He also stated that there was a wooded area on the Valley Mill Farm property along the
shared property line. Ms. Kalbian stated that extra trees are necessary because Valley
Mill Farm is on the Register. Mr. Bader suggested that the property keep Valley Mill
farm in mind when determining the layout of housing types within that development.
Chairman Kriz asked about the full build out and location of housing types. Mr. Sowers
responded that the plans weren't finalized as of yet.
There being no other comments, staff informed Mr. Sowers that he would receive a letter
with the HRAB's recommendations.
Before closing the meeting for the evening the HRAB discussed the possibility of
updating the Comprehensive Policy Plan. Staff informed the HRAB that they would
provide maps at the next meeting and if no rezoning applications were submitted for the
June Agenda deadline, the updates to the Comprehensive Plan would be the only agenda
item.
There being no other business the HRAB adjourned at 8:56 P.M.
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ITEM # 2
COMPREHENSIVE P-VLII Y FLAN UPDATE
E
The Historic Resources Advisory Board, at their May 2007 meeting, expressed an interest
in reviewing and updating the history chapter of the Comprehensive Policy Plan of
Frederick County.
Included in this agenda is a copy of the current section of the Comprehensive Policy Plan,
proposed changes made by staff in February of 2007 which have not yet been discussed,
and all maps relating to historic structures and features in the Comprehensive Policy Plan.
The HRAB should review the following sections and come prepared to the June meeting
to discuss areas needing updates, as well as any policy changes that may be necessary to
further strengthen the County's attempt to preserve and protect historic resources,
specifically during rezoning application proposals.
All proposed changes and updates to this chapter of the Plan will be forwarded to the
Comprehensive Plans and Programs Subcommittee (CPPS) for their discussion on the
2007 update to the entire Comp Plan.
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History
For 12,000 years a sparse population of Indians lived in this area, but many more traveled through
on the Indian Path from New York and Pennsylvania to winter in Georgia and South Carolina. The
C.
first Europeans to come through the Shenandoah Valley were Jesuit missionaries in 1632, and details
of this wilderness area were first shown on a map by a Frenchman, Samuel de Champlain.
English ownership of Frederick County was originally by the Virginia Company but was taken over
by the Crown in 1624. In 1649, Charles II granted seven royalist supporters the land "bounded by
and within the heads" ofthe Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. By 1681, Thomas, the Second Lord
Culpeper, owned most of this original land grant. After he died in 1689, his daughter married
Thomas, the Fifth Lord Fairfax, and later, their son Thomas, the Sixth Lord Fairfax, inherited the
whole land grant.
By the 1650's various traders, trappers, and explorers were coming to the Shenandoah Valley. Dr.
John Lederer from Hamburg, Germany documented his visit to the Valley in 1670 in his diary. An
English colonel, Cadwallader Jones, explored the central Valley in 1673, and in 1716, Governor
Alexander Spotswood and his fifty "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe" crossed into the Valley
through Swift Run Gap and returned with glowing accounts.
Englishmen settled the piedmont, then pushed west by foot and horse through passes in the Blue
Ridge, and many more German and Scotch -Irish settlers came down the valleys from Philadelphia and
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Some of the earliest settlers were Quakers who built the Hopewell Friends
Meeting House which still stands near Clearbrook. These settlers were attracted by the fertile soils
and the abundant forest and water resources.
The Government of Colonial Virginia wanted this wilderness settled as quickly as possible, as a buffer
against Indians; but Robert "King" Carter, Lord Fairfax's agent, was settling Fairfax's land slowly in
large plantations. The government of Virginia had chartered counties in the land grant as settlement
spread up the Northern Neck and west through the land grant. Virginia began to argue that Fairfax's
land grant ended at the Blue Ridge, and began granting up to 1,000 acres each to settler families west
of the Blue Ridge.
Virginia gave particular developers the right to recruit settlers and sell them up to 1,000 acres per
family within a general "grant" area. Each parcel would revert to Virginia unless settled with a house
and orchard within two years.
Abraham Hollingsworth settled near the site of Abrams Delight in about 1729. Owen Thomas and
Jeremiah Smith came to Back Creek in 1730 and settled on 806 acres granted in Thomas' name.
Smith left and returned with a wife before 1741. His log cabin is now part of a house west of Back
Creek and south of Route 50. In 1732, Jost Hite settled 16 families on his 5,000 acre "grant" and
built Hite's Fort at Bartonsville.
Frederick County 2 - 1 Comprehensive Plan
History
The Indian Path became the Great Wagon Road and Indians were dispossessed westward by treaty
and force of arms. Frederick County was created from western Orange County by the House of
Burgesses on December 21, 1738 and was named after the Prince of Wales. James Wood, County
Surveyor for Orange County, platted a town at the County seat, which he named Winchester, after
his birthplace. It consisted of 26 half -acre lots and three streets within 1300 acres, which he claimed
as wilderness land owned by Virginia. Those streets are now Loudoun, Boscawen and Cameron.
County government in Virginia was originally by self-perpetuating courts. Frederick County's Court
was proclaimed and organized in 1743, and its officials took their oaths of office on November 11
of that year. It first met at the surveying office of its clerk, James Wood, at the site on which he later
built his estate, called Glen Burnie.
By 1743, the Frederick County Court admitted that Lord Fairfax's land included the County. At the
age of 16, George Washington was a member of a surveying party that came to Frederick County for
Lord Fairfax in 1748. In 1749, Lord Fairfax moved to Frederick County and built his home,
Greenway Court, at White Post, in present-day Clarke County. He accepted Wood's 1,300 acre claim
and other additional lots at Winchester. Eventually, eleven other counties would be created from the
3,824 square miles included in the original Frederick County.
George Washington was associated with Winchester and Frederick County between the years of 1748
and 1765. Early during those years, he maintained a surveying office in Winchester. During the
French and Indian War, he was given a Commission and later made Commander in Chief of the
colonial forces with headquarters in Winchester. Washington held his first elective offices
representing Frederick County, having been elected to the house of Burgesses in 1758 and 1761.
Although there were no battles or military engagements in Frederick County during the Revolutionary
War, the area was very important in the effort. General Daniel Morgan, who lived in eastern
Frederick County (now Clarke County), and his "Long Rifles" played a prominent role in many battles
of the Revolutionary War, including the Battle at Cowpens in South Carolina. Several local citizens
furnished the troops with food and supplies, including Isaac Zane who supplied the army with
ammunition made at his ironworks in Marlboro. Many prisoners captured during the War were held
in Winchester and Frederick County. By 1779, the number of British prisoners held in Winchester
had increased so much that it was decided to build a larger prison. A barracks was built four miles
west of Winchester to hold these prisoners whose number had increased to 1,600 by the year 1781.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, life in the current Frederick County area
centered around small family farms. Local farms tended to be smaller than farms to the east. During
this period, wheat production became the center of the local economy, along with cattle production.
In 1820, there were fifty flour mills in Frederick County along with numerous sawmills, tanneries, and
other business activities.
Frederick County 2 - 2 Comprehensive Plan
History
Economic life was centered around Winchester and other local towns including Stephens City,
Middletown, Kernstown, Gainesboro and Gore. There were a large number and diversity of
craftsmen and merchants in these towns. The strongest influence on the local economy was the Great
Wagon Road, which later became U.S. Route 11 and which carried settlers and travelers from
Philadelphia, south through the Valley and to the west. Activity associated with this road made
Winchester one of the largest towns in western Virginia.
Frederick County played a significant part in the Civil War. The northern Shenandoah Valley
supplied food, livestock, horses, and soldiers to the southern cause. The Valley was also important
because of its strategic location in relation to Washington D.C. The town of Winchester changed
hands in the war about 70 times, an average of once every three weeks for four years.
Major local battles included the First Battle of Kernstown in March of 1862, during which General
Stonewall Jackson suffered his only tactical defeat during the Valley Campaign but did succeed in
keeping Union troops in the Valley from leaving to reinforce McClellan on the peninsula. In May of
1862, Jackson's army defeated the Union troops at the First Battle of Winchester.
In the Second Battle of Winchester in 1863, confederate troops successfully attacked and defeated
Union troops occupying forts on the western side of Winchester. Union troops were again defeated
at the second battle of Kernstown in 1864.
At the Third Battle of Winchester, General Philip Sheridan's Union troops successfully attacked
confederate troops at Winchester. With the high numbers of losses on both sides, a new war of
attrition was to begin in the Valley from which the southern forces would never recover. For three
weeks in 1864, Sheridan's troops undertook the infamous "Burning" to end Confederate strength in
the Valley. Union troops burned 2,000 barns, 120 mills, and a half a million bushels of grain and
confiscated 50,000 head of livestock in the Valley. Virginia's richest valley was left desolate.
In October of 1864, Jubal Early's Confederate troops were entrenched south of Cedar Creek. The
Union troops were encamped just north of Cedar Creek. A surprise attack by the Confederates drove
the Union troops to the north. General Sheridan rallied his troops and attacked, driving the
Confederates back across Cedar Creek. This victory helped boost Union morale and helped President
Lincoln win reelection.
The Civil War period brought much destruction and economic hardship to Frederick County, due to
the county's strategic location in the Valley. Many farms, mills, and dwellings were damaged or
destroyed, and the county's economic productivity was greatly reduced. The Reconstruction period
was characterized by a slow economic recovery from damages suffered, and by the 1880's economic
stability gradually returned. After the war, old economic activities resumed and new activities began.
New businesses included a tannery, dairying, farm machinery, and shipping.
Frederick County 2 - 3 Comprehensive Plan
History
There was a tremendous building boom in the county during the period of 1880-1900. In addition
to new construction, older structures were often enlarged and "updated" using modern building
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previously developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. New communities were also formed
as a consequence of newer, more advanced transportation systems including the automobile and the
railroad. Among the communities that experienced growth during this period were Meadow Mills,
Hayfield, Gore, Mountain Falls, Mount Williams, Gravel Springs, Gainesboro, Albin, Brucetown,
White Hall and Armel.
Industrial activity also slowly resumed after the Civil War. According to one source, by 1890,
Frederick County had 37 mills, eight woolen factories, a steam elevator, two iron foundries, four
glove factories, a boot and shoe factory, ten broom factories, four tanneries, a large paper mill, three
newspapers, a book bindery, eight cigar factories, three marble yards, and two furniture factories.
In the early twentieth century, there was rapid industrial growth in Frederick County. There was a
phenomenal rise in apple production, with apples replacing wheat as the primary cash crop. Many
new facilities were developed relating to apple production and processing. Later in the twentieth
century, the local economy had diversified to include a range of different industrial activities.
Activities continue to be based on the accessibility of the area and on north -south travel along the
route that was once the Great Wagon Road and is now Route 11 and Interstate 81.
Historic Preservation
There are quite a few historic sites in Frederick County. The following sites are listed on both the
Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places:
Belle Grove and Cedar Creek Battlefield
Monte Vista
Springdale House and Mill Complex
Willow Shade
Sunrise
Rose Hill
Hopewell Friends Meeting House
County Poor House
Willa Cather's Birthplace
Newtown/Stephensburg District
St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Middletown)
In addition to these, there are approximately 50 sites in the County that have been preliminarily
reviewed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and deemed probably eligible for
inclusion on the State and National Registers.
Frederick County 2 - 4 Comprehensive Plan
Mist
Six battlefields of great national importance are located in Frederick County and Winchester.
Battlefields:
First and Second Battles of Winchester
First and Second Battles of Kernstown
Stephenson's Depot
Fortifications/Entrenchments:
Star Fort
Parkins Mill Battery
Nineteenth Corps Line
Hilandale Earthworks/1864-65 Winter Line
Third Battle of Winchester
Cedar Creek
Rutherford's Farm
Fort Collier
Carysbrook Redoubt
Zig-Zag Trenches
There are over 12,000 acres of land in battlefields that maintain high historic character. Without a
concentrated and effective effort, most battlefield sites in Winchester and Frederick County will be
lost to development during the next twenty years because of their location. Significant efforts are
underway on the part of City and County government, the Kernstown Battlefield Association, the
Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and others to protect local battlefield sites and create a battlefield
park network. The Frederick County - Winchester Battlefield Task Force has produced a plan for
a battlefield park network. The Task Force completed the Frederick County -Winchester Battlefield
Network Plan in 1996, which was adopted by the Frederick County Board of Supervisors and the
Winchester City Council. The plan describes goals for the network and includes strategies and
actions to be undertaken to achieve these goals. A battlefield park network in Frederick County and
Winchester will provide substantial economic and educational benefits.
In order to take advantage of the potential of battlefield sites, a carefully planned, interconnected
network of battlefield sites is needed. Significant, pristine portions of the Cedar Creek, Third
Winchester and Kernstown battlefields will provide the "critical mass" and foundation for the
battlefield network. Old Town Winchester will play a critical role with its sites and facilities. Other
smaller sites will play an important role in the battlefield network as small parks or areas to be viewed
along tour routes. Battlefield sites will be connected by carefully planned tour routes that will include
vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian routes. Approaches to interpreting the history of the sites for
visitors need to be carefully planned and should include a uniform approach and an interpretative
center.
Frederick County 2 - 5 Comprehensive Plan
il CIVIL WAR SITES
----------De Civil War Bacttl elds and Sites
Frederick County Planning R Development i
Winchester, Virgkjo (As Defined by the NPS Shenandoah Valley Civil War Sites Study)
i
12-10-97
History
The Plan describes strategies to achieve the goals including:
Providing information, assistance, and incentives to landowners
Preparing resource management plans for specific sites
Recommendations concerning local planning decisions
Establishment of an "umbrella battlefield organization" to carry out actions described
Local government assistance and state and federal involvement
Establishing a primary interpretative center
A coordinated sign system for tour routes
Conducting special events for public awareness
Contact and coordination with various interested individuals and groups
In addition to the key sites at Cedar Creek, Kemstown, Third Winchester/Opequon, and Old Town
Winchester, a number of other sites are included in the strategies including:
Star Fort and other forts
Stephenson Depot
National and Stonewall Cemeteries
Bowers Hill
Ruthersford Farm
Berryville Canyon
Sheridan's Hospital
1864 Winter Line
Frederick County 2 - 7 Comprehensive Plan
History
The Plan contains an Battlefield Action Plan that describes the specific actions that will need to be
undertaken to achieve the goals of the plan.
Table 1
Battlefield Action Program Summary
ACTION
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Establish "Battlefield Organization"
Complete Grim Farm acquisition
Acquire Third Winchester key areas
Resource plan for Kernstown
Resource plan for Third Winchester
Resource plan for Star Fort
Battlefield special event
Resource plan for Cedar Creek
Interpretative tour plan
Implement Kernstown plan
Develop interpretative center
Additional acquisition at Cedar Creek
Travel route signs
Implement Star Fort plan
Frnplernent Cedar Creek LM
Frederick County 2 - 8 Comprehensive Plan
History
Acquisition of the Grim Farm, as identified by the Battlefield Action Program, continues to be
pursued. In joining efforts with the City and the Kernstown Battlefield Association, the County is
actively working to acquire, protect, and preserve the 342 -acre Grim Farm. This property would
be managed by the Kernstown Battlefield Association and opened to the public for Civil War
interpretation and preservation of the historic landscape.
The Rural Landmarks Survey of Frederick County, a comprehensive survey of all historic structures
and sites in the County, was completed in 1992. It documents over 1800 properties and concludes
that many are historically significant. Archaeological sites in the County have also been inventoried
in recent studies. Methods to protect, enhance and preserve the especially significant sites are being
pursued.
A program for designation of historic properties was adopted in 1992 and is being administered by
the Historic Resources Advisory Board. The HRAB is also pursuing an educational program to raise
the public awareness about the County's historic resources, which includes a presentation on the
Rural Landmarks Survey as a part of the County Schools' history curriculum.
In addition to individual properties and battlefield sites, several areas of the County have been
identified as having potential for historic districts. Any development proposal in these areas will
need to address the historical significance of the site involved.
Zoning or other regulatory methods can be used to help protect important historical sites. Methods
are preferred which allow the property owner to decide whether to participate. In addition,
incentives allowed by law for the rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, or restoration of historic structures
should be considered.
Care should be taken in the design and provision of streets and utilities in historic areas to maintain
the historical integrity- and character of historic areas. The protection of historic areas should be
carefully considered in establishing new roads. Land use patterns should be planned that are
harmonious with the historic environment.
Historic preservation can play an important role in economic development. Tourism is an important
local industry. The possibility of improving the attractiveness of the area to tourists should be
considered in a systematic manner. The protection of historic resources will play an important role
in this effort.
Frederick County 2 - 9 Comprehensive Plan
Frederick County Planning R Development
Vinchester, Vlrgiriu possible Historic Dig Mcts
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12-10-97
His
Historic Preservation Policy
A number of historic preservation issues have been identified, including the following-
1"ss ues
The need to develop methods to protect historic resources.
The need to protect and promote the economic and cultural importance of historic
resources.
GOAL - u moica €€ hz --'81;, is resources tri. rederick Counfv _ _ _—
Strateay 1 - Maintain the inventory of historic sites and potential districts and promote the official
designation of significant resources in the County.
Strate2 - Study and adopt methods to preserve historic resources.
Strategy 3 - Incorporate historic resources in efforts to promote tourism.
Implementation Methods:
1. Use the Rural Landmarks Survey as a source for determining properties and districts that
would qualify for official recognition. Provide positive publicity and education about the
recognized sites. Identify those which may be eligible for the State and National register and
assist in the preparation and submission of nominations.
2. Develop a method for notifying owners of abandoned historic property of the significance
of their property and urge them to maintain it.
3. Develop a mapping system, coordinated with other mapped property information, to assist
in determining whether development proposals will impact historic resources.
4. Have the Historic Resources Advisory Board review development proposals which
potentially impact significant historic resources. Provide the HRAB's information and
recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
5. Develop techniques for protecting and enhancing historic resources including zoning
methods, impact analysis, conservation easements, and tax incentives for rehabilitation
efforts. Strong support should be given to private initiatives such as voluntary compliance
Frederick County 2-11 Comprehensive Plan
Histo
with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
6. Develop requirements and methods for dedication of land and historic districts within
significant developments affecting historic resources. Require that open space dedications
for developments in battlefield areas be used to create battlefield parks.
7. Encourage the creation and regulation of historic districts. Consider participating in the
Virginia Department of Historic Resources' "Certified Local Government" program.
8. Include concerns for historic preservation and tourism in economic development
strategies. Promote the concept of a focused events to promote the County's heritage,
including reenactments, tours, exhibits, and other activities. Develop ways to publicize sites
and routes of interest that will not adversely impact private property owners.
9. Present educational programs, such as slide presentations and lectures, to promote historic
preservation.
10. Support the creation of a `Battlefield Organization" to oversee and coordinate
regional preservation efforts. Assist the "Battlefield Organization" with the implementa-
tion of the Frederick County -Winchester Battlefield Network Plan.
f a 615
7;r yr
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GOAL - Ta. ia,hhsr rn#ctrir3.1i it
Strate 1 - Develop a comprehensive approach to Battlefield protection and preservation.
Strate 2 - Develop a comprehensive approach to historic preservation which will result in a
system of sites and battlefields dedicated or protected in a coordinated fashion.
Strate y 3 - Use the strategies described in the Frederick County -Winchester Battlefield Network
Plan to help create a battlefield network that will attract people from around the Nation and the
World.
Implementation Methods:
1. Develop a successful battlefield park network that preserves key sites, attracts tourists
from around the world, and supports education.
Frederick County 2-12 Comprehensive Plan
History
2. Develop a community vision and consensus supporting the preservation and use of
battlefield resources.
3. Provide for efficient, attractive and enjoyable vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle travel to,
between, and within the key sites.
4. Preserve and protect the historic appearance and character of the key battlefield sites,
their viewsheds, and their approaches.
5. Coordinate the battlefield efforts with efforts to protect and use resources from other
historic periods.
6. Coordinate the battlefield efforts with efforts to protect and preserve natural, visual and
environmental resources.
7. Develop a comprehensive approach to the interpretation and understanding of the sites
and their history.
8. Develop long term funding sources for battlefield preservation.
9. Work closely with landowners and find ways to provide preservation benefits to
landowners.
10. Encourage and coordinate with regional, state, and federal efforts to preserve battlefield
sites.
11. Provide for the long term maintenance of the battlefield park network.
12. Coordinate with the overall planning efforts of the community.
13. Preserve and use key portions of the Cedar Creek, Kernstown, and Third Winchester
as the foundation for a battlefield park network
Frederick County 2-13 Comprehensive Plan
Proposed Changes History
For 12,000 years a sparse population of Indians lived in this area, but many more traveled
through on the Indian Path from New York and Pennsylvania to winter in Georgia and South
Carolina. The first Europeans to come through the Shenandoah Valley were Jesuit missionaries
in 1632, and details of this wilderness area were first shown on a map by a Frenchman, Samuel
de Champlain.
English ownership of Frederick County was originally by the Virginia Company but was taken
over by the Crown in 1624. In 1649, Charles II granted seven royalist supporters the land
"bounded by and within the heads" of the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. By 1681,
Thomas, the Second Lord Culpeper, owned most of this original land grant. After he died in
1689, his daughter married Thomas, the Fifth Lord Fairfax, and later, their son Thomas, the Sixth
Lord Fairfax, inherited the whole land grant.
By the 1650's various traders, trappers, and explorers were coming to the Shenandoah Valley.
Dr. John Lederer from Hamburg, Germany documented his visit to the Valley in 1670 in his
diary. An English colonel, Cadwallader Jones, explored the central Valley in 1673, and in 1716,
Governor Alexander Spotswood and his fifty "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe" crossed into
the Valley through Swift Run Gap and returned with glowing accounts.
Englishmen settled the piedmont, then pushed west by foot and horse through passes in the Blue
Ridge, and many more German and Scotch -Irish settlers came down the valleys from
Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Some of the earliest settlers were Quakers who built
the Hopewell Friends Meeting House which still stands near Clearbrook. These settlers were
attracted by the fertile soils and the abundant forest and water resources.
The Government of Colonial Virginia wanted this wilderness settled as quickly as possible, as a
buffer against Indians; but Robert "King" Carter, Lord Fairfax's agent, was settling Fairfax's land
slowly in large plantations. The government of Virginia had chartered counties in the land grant
as settlement spread up the Northern Neck and west through the land grant. Virginia began to
argue that Fairfax's land grant ended at the Blue Ridge, and began granting up to 1,000 acres
each to settler families west of the Blue Ridge.
Virginia gave particular developers the right to recruit settlers and sell them up to 1,000 acres per
family within a general "grant" area. Each parcel would revert to Virginia unless settled with a
house and orchard within two years.
Abraham Hollingsworth settled near the site of Abrams Delight in about 1729. Owen Thomas
and Jeremiah Smith came to Back Creek in 1730 and settled on 806 acres granted in Thomas'
name. Smith left and returned with a wife before 1741. His log cabin is now part of a house
west of Back Creek and south of Route 50. In 1732, Jost Hite settled 16 families on his 5,000
acre "grant" and built Hite's Fort at Bartonsville.
Frederick County _ j Comprehensive
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The Indian Path became the Great Wagon Road and Indians were dispossessed westward by
treaty and force of arms. Frederick County was created from western Orange County by the
House of Burgesses on December 21, 1738 and was named after the Prince of Wales. James
Wood, County Surveyor for Orange County, platted a town at the County seat, which he named
Winchester, after his birthplace. It consisted of 26 half -acre lots and three streets within 1300
acres, which he claimed as wilderness land owned by Virginia. Those streets are now Loudoun,
Boscawen and Cameron.
County government in Virginia was originally by self-perpetuating courts. Frederick County's
Court was proclaimed and organized in 1743, and its officials took their oaths of office on
November 11 of that year. It first met at the surveying office of its clerk, James Wood, at the site
on which he later built his estate, called Glen Burnie.
By 1743, the Frederick County Court admitted that Lord Fairfax's land included the County. At
the age of 16, George Washington was a member of a surveying party that came to Frederick
County for Lord Fairfax in 1748. In 1749, Lord Fairfax moved to Frederick County and built his
home, Greenway Court, at White Post, in present-day Clarke County. He accepted Wood's 1,300
acre claim and other additional lots at Winchester. Eventually, eleven other counties would be
created from the 3,824 square miles included in the original Frederick County.
George Washington was associated with Winchester and Frederick County between the years of
1748 and 1765. Early during those years, he maintained a surveying office in Winchester.
During the French and Indian War, he was given a Commission and later made Commander in
Chief of the colonial forces with headquarters in Winchester. Washington held his first elective
offices representing Frederick County, having been elected to the house of Burgesses in 1758
and 1761.
Although there were no battles or military engagements in Frederick County during the
Revolutionary War, the area was very important in the effort. General Daniel Morgan, who lived
in eastern Frederick County (now Clarke County), and his "Long Rifles" played a prominent role
in many battles of the Revolutionary War, including the Battle at Cowpens in South Carolina.
Several local citizens furnished the troops with food and supplies, including Isaac Zane who
supplied the army with ammunition made at his ironworks in Marlboro. Many prisoners
captured during the War were held in Winchester and Frederick County. By 1779, the number of
British prisoners held in Winchester had increased so much that it was decided to build a larger
prison. A barracks was built four miles west of Winchester to hold these prisoners whose
number had increased to 1,600 by the year 1781.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, life in the current Frederick County
area centered around small family farms. Local farms tended to be smaller than farms to the
east. During this period, wheat production became the center of the local economy, along with
cattle production. In 1820, there were fifty flour mills in Frederick County along with numerous
Frederick County —2 Comprehensive
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Proposed Changes Histou
sawmills, tanneries, and other business activities.
Economic life was centered around Winchester and other local towns including Stephens City,
Middletown, Kemstown, Gainesboro and Gore. There were a large number and diversity of
craftsmen and merchants in these towns. The strongest influence on the local economy was the
Great Wagon Road, which later became U.S. Route 11 and which carried settlers and travelers
from Philadelphia, south through the Valley and to the west. Activity associated with this road
made Winchester one of the largest towns in western Virginia.
Frederick County played a significant part in the Civil War. The northern Shenandoah Valley
supplied food, livestock, horses, and soldiers to the southern cause. The Valley was also
important because of its strategic location in relation to Washington D.C. The town of
Winchester changed hands in the war about 70 times, an average of once every three weeks for
four years.
Major local battles included the First Battle of Kernstown in March of 1862, during which
General Stonewall Jackson suffered his only tactical defeat during the Valley Campaign but did
succeed in keeping Union troops in the Valley from leaving to reinforce McClellan on the
peninsula. In May of 1862, Jackson's army defeated the Union troops at the First Battle of
Winchester.
In the Second Battle of Winchester in 1863, confederate troops successfully attacked and
defeated Union troops occupying forts on the western side of Winchester. Union troops were
again defeated at the second battle of Kemstown in 1864.
At the Third Battle of Winchester, General Philip Sheridan's Union troops successfully attacked
confederate troops at Winchester. With the high numbers of losses on both sides, a new war of
attrition was to begin in the Valley from which the southern forces would never recover. For
three weeks in 1864, Sheridan's troops undertook the infamous "Burning" to end Confederate
strength in the Valley. Union troops burned 2,000 barns, 120 mills, and a half a million bushels
of grain and confiscated 50,000 head of livestock in the Valley. Virginia's richest valley was left
desolate.
In October of 1864, Jubal Early's Confederate troops were entrenched south of Cedar Creek.
The Union troops were encamped just north of Cedar Creek. A surprise attack by the
Confederates drove the Union troops to the north. General Sheridan rallied his troops and
attacked, driving the Confederates back across Cedar Creek. This victory helped boost Union
morale and helped President Lincoln win reelection.
The Civil War period brought much destruction and economic hardship to Frederick County, due
to the county's strategic location in the Valley. Many farms, mills, and dwellings were damaged
or destroyed, and the county's economic productivity was greatly reduced. The Reconstruction
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period was characterized by a slow economic recovery from damages suffered, and by the 1880's
economic stability gradually returned. After the war, old economic activities resumed and new
activities began. New businesses included a tannery, dairying; farm machinery; and shipping.
There was a tremendous building boom in the county during the period of 1880-1900. In
addition to new construction, older structures were often enlarged and "updated" using modern
building techniques and styles. This growth occurred in both rural areas and in small
communities that had previously developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. New
communities were also formed as a consequence of newer, more advanced transportation
systems including the automobile and the railroad. Among the communities that experienced
growth during this period were Meadow Mills, Hayfield, Gore, Mountain Falls, Mount Williams,
Gravel Springs, Gainesboro, Albin, Brucetown, White Hall and Armel.
Industrial activity also slowly resumed after the Civil War. According to one source, by 1890,
Frederick County had 37 mills, eight woolen factories, a steam elevator, two iron foundries, four
glove factories, a boot and shoe factory, ten broom factories, four tanneries, a large paper mill,
three newspapers, a book bindery, eight cigar factories, three marble yards, and two furniture
factories.
In the early twentieth century, there was rapid industrial growth in Frederick County. There was
a phenomenal rise in apple production, with apples replacing wheat as the primary cash crop.
Many new facilities were developed relating to apple production and processing. Later in the
twentieth century, the local economy had diversified to include a range of different industrial
activities. Activities continue to be based on the accessibility of the area and on north -south
travel along the route that was once the Great Wagon Road and is now Route 11 and Interstate
81.
Historic Preservation
There are quite a few historic sites in Frederick County. The following sites are listed on both
the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places:
Belle Grove and Cedar Creek Battlefield
Monte Vista
Springdale House and Mill Complex
Willow Shade
Sunrise
Rose Hill
Middletown Historic District
Long Meadows
Opequon Presbyterian Church
Opequon Historic District
Frederick County
Plan
Hopewell Friends Meeting House
CountyPoor House
Willa Cather's Birthplace
Newtown/Stephensburg District
St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Middletown)
Homespun
Old Forge Farm
Old Stone Church
Frederick County Courthouse
Valley Mill Farm
4 Comprehensive
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Fort Collier
Crumley-Lynn Lodge House
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Six battlefields of great national importance are located in Frederick County and Winchester.
Battlefields:
First and Second Battles of Winchester
First and Second Battles of Kemstown
Stephenson's Depot
Fortifications/Entrenchments:
Star Fort
Fort Collier
Parkins Mill Battery
Carysbrook Redoubt
Nineteenth Corps Line
Zig-Zag Trenches
Hilandale Earthworks/1864-65 Winter Line
Third Battle of Winchester
Cedar Creek
Rutherford's Farm
There are over 12,000 acres of land in battlefields that maintain high historic character. Without
a concentrated and effective effort, most battlefield sites in Winchester and Frederick County
will be lost to development during the next twenty years because of their location. Significant
efforts are underway on the part of City and County government, the Kernstown Battlefield
Association, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and others to protect local battlefield sites
and create a battlefield park network. The Frederick County - Winchester Battlefield Task Force
has produced a plan for a battlefield park network. The Task Force completed the Frederick
County -Winchester Battlefield Network Plan in 1996, which was adopted by the Frederick
County Board of Supervisors and the Winchester City Council. The plan describes goals for the
network and includes strategies and actions to be undertaken to achieve these goals. A
battlefield park network in Frederick County and Winchester will provide substantial economic
and educational benefits.
In order to take advantage of the potential of battlefield sites, a carefully planned, interconnected
network of battlefield sites is needed. Significant, pristine portions of the Cedar Creek, Third
Winchester and Kemstown battlefields will provide the "critical mass" and foundation for the
battlefield network. Old Town Winchester will play a critical role with its sites and facilities.
Other smaller sites will play an important role in the battlefield network as small parks or areas
to be viewed along tour routes.
Connecting urban neighborhoods, pristine wooded areas, and battlefields has become one of
the county's important tasks, that has evolved in the past few years. The idea of New
Urbanism design allows neighborhoods to be connected efficiently and aesthetically to
historical areas. This idea helps create an excellent recreation component for residents to
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readily access not only battlefields, but historical landmarks.
New residential development planned within historical districts or
located near historical landmarks will need to provide access to the historical resources, via
pedestrian and bicycle trails. It will be imperative for the county to start receiving dedicated
trails/greenways, within new developments thatfit the above criteria.
A decade ago, the county had set forth an initiative within the Frederick County -Winchester
Battlefield Network Plan, for all the preserved battlefields to provide a trail network that
provides connectivity to different sites. Currently, only a small portion of the battlefield land
has been traversed by trails, and even a smaller portion providing connectivity to adjoining
properties. Any management plans created for historically significant property should provide
detail in pedestrian access.
Frederick County —7 Comprehensive
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Battlefield\ Fortification Map
Frederick County —8 Comprehensive
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The Plata describes strategies to achieve the goals including:
Providing information, assistance, and incentives to landowners
Preparing resource management plans for specific sites
Recommendations concerning local planning decisions
Establishment of an "umbrella battlefield organization" to carry out actions described
Local government assistance and state and federal involvement
Establishing a primary interpretative center
A coordinated sign system for tour routes
Conducting special events for public awareness
Contact and coordination with various interested individuals and groups
In addition to the key sites at Cedar Creek, Kemstown, Third Winchester/Opequon, and Old
Town Winchester, a number of other sites are included in the strategies including:
Star Fort and other forts
Stephenson Depot
National and Stonewall Cemeteries
Bowers Hill
Ruthersford Farm
Berryville Canyon
Sheridan's Hospital
1864 Winter Line
Frederick County —9 Comprehensive
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Proposed Changes History
The Plan contains an Battlefield Action Plan that describes the specific actions that will need to
be undertaken to achieve the goals of the plan.
Table 1
Frederick County —10 Comprehensive
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ACTION
1995
4-9%
T997
1999
x-999
Establish "Battlefield (l, -g r,;z„t; l!
K
Acquire TL ifd Winchester l,o.,
K
Resoufee plan for rro st
K
Reso tfee plan fest Tl ifd Wr,.,cheste f
K
Resource pl, ., foo Stat >~ oft
K
Battlefield s o .,l o „t
K
1Resouree ,,l a„ for CodaF Gfee1,
K
K
Implement Ke st plan
K
Develop inte.o,-Fx-1. 1, . ,oto
K
Additional aequisition .,t Gee C l
K
Travel fout- I.K
Implement Star Foft ,,la
K
�.��p�= � l
implement rt Gedaf Creek p
K
Frederick County —10 Comprehensive
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--I-,Two
_-
WAW
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_
- -
The Rural Landmarks Survey of Frederick County, a comprehensive survey of all historic
structures and sites in the County, was completed in 1992. It documents over 1800 properties
and concludes that many are historically significant. Archaeological sites in the County have
also been inventoried in recent studies. Methods to protect, enhance and preserve the especially
significant sites are being pursued.
A program for designation of historic properties was adopted in 1992 and is being administered
by the Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB). The HRAB is also pursuing an educational
program to raise the public awareness about the County's historic resources, which includes a
presentation on the Rural Landmarks Survey as a part of the County Schools' history
curriculum.
In addition to individual properties and battlefield sites, several areas of the County have been
identified as having potential for historic districts. Any development proposal in these areas
will need to address the historical significance of the site involved. Currently the county has
three historical districts: Newtown/Stephensburg, Opequon, and Middletown. Along with
identified historical districts, the county has identified rural community centers (villages) on
the Frederick County Zoning Map. The historical integrity of these areas will be key, as
commercial development seeks to locate in these more dense rural areas. Design standards
should accommodate the character of the villages.
Below is a listing of the Rural Community Centers within Frederick County:
Reynolds Store
Cross Junction
Gainesboro
Gore
North Mountain/Shawneeland
Stephenson
Star Tannery
Armel
Round Hill
Albin
ClearbrookBrucetown
Zoning or other regulatory methods can be used to help protect important historical sites.
Methods are preferred which allow the property owner to decide whether to participate. In
addition, incentives allowed by law for the rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, or restoration of
historic structures should be considered.
Frederick County _ 11 Comprehensive
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Historic preservation can play an important role in economic development. Tourism is an
important local industry. The possibility of improving the attractiveness of the area to tourists
should be considered in a systematic manner.
impoftafA fole in this eHeft. The larger historically significant properties should be providing
recreational and educational uses on the property, to attract a tourist population.
Frederick County —12 Comprehensive
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ProposeChanges History
[POSSIBLE HISTORIC DISTRICTS MAP]
Frederick County —13 Comprehensive
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Include map o.,fRural Comm -unity Centers
Frederick County —14 Comprehensive
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Historic Preservation Policy
A number of historic preservation issues have been identified, including the following:
Issues
< The need to develop methods to protect historic resources.
< The need to protect and promote the economic and cultural importance of
historic resources.
GOAL - To protect the historic resources in Frederick County
Strategy 1 - Maintain the inventory of historic sites and potential districts and promote the
official designation of significant resources in the County.
Strategy 2 - Incorporate historic resources in efforts to promote tourism.
Stra3 — Develop a funding mechanism to allow the county to purchase historically
significant properties to ensure their preservation.
Implementation Methods:
1. Use the Rural Landmarks Survey as a source for determining properties and districts
that would qualify for official recognition. Provide positive publicity and education
about the recognized sites. Identify those which may be eligible for the State and
National register and assist in the preparation and submission of nominations.
2. Develop a method for notifying owners of abandoned historic property of the
significance of their property and urge them to maintain it.
3. Develop a mapping system, coordinated with other mapped property information, to
assist in determining whether development proposals will impact historic resources.
4. Have the Historic Resources Advisory Board review development proposals which
potentially impact significant historic resources. Provide the HRAB's information and
recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
5. Develop techniques for protecting and enhancing historic resources including zoning
Frederick County _ 15 Comprehensive
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methods, impact analysis, conservation easements, and tax incentives for rehabilitation
efforts. Strong support should be given to private initiatives such as voluntary
compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
6. Develop requirements and methods for dedication of land and historic districts within
significant developments affecting historic resources. Require that open space
dedications for developments in battlefield areas be used to create battlefield parks.
7. Encourage the creation and regulation of historic districts. Consider participating in
the Virginia Department of Historic Resources' "Certified Local Government" program.
8. Include concerns for historic preservation and tourism in economic development
strategies. Promote the concept of a focused events, to promote the County's heritage,
including reenactments, tours, exhibits, and other activities. Develop ways to publicize
sites and routes of interest that will not adversely impact private property owners.
9. Present educational programs, such as slide presentations and lectures, to promote
historic preservation.
10. Support the creation of a ABattlefield Organization@ to oversee and coordinate
regional preservation efforts. Assist the ABattlefield Organization@ with the
implementation of the Frederick County -Winchester Battlefield Network Plan.
GOAL - To promote the preservation and protection of Civil War Battlefield resources.
Strategy 1 - Develop a comprehensive approach to Battlefield protection and preservation.
Strakig 2 - Develop a comprehensive approach to historic preservation which will result in a
system of sites and battlefields dedicated or protected in a coordinated fashion.
Strate 3 - Use the strategies described in the Frederick County -Winchester Battlefield
Network Plan to help create a battlefield network that will attract people from around the Nation
and the World.
Implementation Methods:
1. Develop a successful battlefield park network that preserves key sites, attracts tourists
from around the world, and supports education.
Frederick County —16 Comprehensive
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2. Develop a community vision and consensus supporting the preservation and use of
battlefield resources.
3. Provide for efficient, attractive and enjoyable vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle travel
to, between, and within the key sites.
4. Preserve and protect the historic appearance and character of the key battlefield sites,
their viewsheds, and their approaches.
5. Coordinate the battlefield efforts with efforts to protect and use resources from other
historic periods.
6. Coordinate the battlefield efforts with efforts to protect and preserve natural, visual
and environmental resources.
7. Develop a comprehensive approach to the interpretation and understanding of the
sites and their history.
8. Develop long term funding sources for battlefield preservation.
9. Work closely with landowners and find ways to provide preservation benefits to
landowners.
10. Encourage and coordinate with regional, state, and federal efforts to preserve
battlefield sites.
11. Provide for the long term maintenance of the battlefield park network.
12. Coordinate with the overall planning efforts of the community.
13. Preserve and use key portions of the Cedar Creek, Kernstown, and Third Winchester
as the foundation for a battlefield park network.
Frederick County _ 17 Comprehensive
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