Help Save 414 Nearly Pristine Acres at Brandy Station

The Opportunity

An extraordinary opportunity to protect the site of the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America.

For nearly 40 years, preservationists have fought to protect Brandy Station from development. Now, another remarkable opportunity is within reach: 414 nearly pristine battlefield acres valued at more than $8 million can be permanently protected if we raise the final $62,500 needed for acquisition.

• The larger property at Brandy Station includes approximately 406 acres of remarkably intact battlefield land adjacent to Fleetwood Hill.
• A second tract of approximately 8.45 acres is particularly vulnerable because of its zoning and proximity to Culpeper Regional Airport.

Together, these 414 acres represent one of the largest remaining unprotected pieces of the Brandy Station battlefield.

Thanks to expected federal and state grant funding, every $1 donated toward the acquisition represents approximately $132 in land value. That means a gift of just $150 can help secure the funding needed for roughly one acre of battlefield land.

But saving the land is only part of the long game. An additional $59,563 will support restoration work to help return portions of Brandy Station closer to their historic appearance — making the total goal $122,063 to save and restore this hallowed ground.

The History

Before dawn on June 9, 1863, Union cavalry crossed the Rappahannock River and surprised Confederate horsemen gathered near Brandy Station, Virginia. For roughly 14 hours, thousands of Union and Confederate cavalrymen fought across these fields and ridges in what became the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America.

At the center of much of the fighting stood Fleetwood Hill, headquarters of Confederate cavalry commander Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. The battle ended without a clear victor, but it marked an important change: Union cavalrymen had demonstrated that they could stand toe-to-toe with Stuart’s celebrated horsemen, giving them new confidence as the Gettysburg Campaign continued.

More than a century later, a different fight for Brandy Station began.

Nearly 40 years ago, preservationists including Clark “Bud” Hall and Emanuel “Tersh” Boasberg III began defending the battlefield from development proposals — including housing, commercial development and even a proposed Formula 1 racetrack. Over the decades, supporters helped protect the battlefield acre by acre and tract by tract, while restoration efforts removed modern intrusions and returned portions of the landscape closer to their historic appearance. 

In 2024, that long game reached a remarkable milestone with the opening of Culpeper Battlefields State Park, Virginia’s 43rd state park. Ground once threatened by development is now available for people to walk, study and experience.

Today, we have the chance to continue that legacy.

414 More Acres at Brandy Station Within Reach!

Protecting these nearly pristine acres at Brandy Station means more than keeping development away. Saving battlefield land preserves the ground. Restoring it helps people understand what happened there. And creating an accessible historic landscape gives future generations the opportunity to experience this history for themselves.

After nearly four decades of persistence, 414 more acres at Brandy Station are within reach — and just $62,500 stands between us and their permanent protection.

Give $150 and you can help secure the funding for approximately one acre. And when you give $50 or more, you’ll receive a limited-edition Brandy Station Battlefield Challenge Coin as a reminder of the history you helped protect.

Donate now