Ox Hill Battlefield Park, Chantilly, Va.
Kelly Schneider
Preservation History
Americans' evolving effort to safeguard their battlefields
In 1987, a Civil War academic scholar, five National Park Service historians and two Civil War buffs convened the first meeting of the organization that has grown to become the American Battlefield Trust. But this is just the modern incarnation of work begun before the Revolutionary War had even ended. Learn more about the how efforts to save hallowed ground across the centuries.
Explore Preservation History
History Under Siege
In the 150 years since the close of the Civil War, much has been done to ensure the preservation of the hallowed grounds where Americans fought and...
What Might Have Been: Fredericksburg, Virginia
There is no better way to get an accurate sense of what the Trust has accomplished in the last 35 years than by examining sites that could have been...
Preservation of the First Day's Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is, quite possibly, the best preserved and best memorialized Civil War site in the country, thanks to a process that began...
Success Stories: The Harris Farm, Spotsylvania Court House
In May 1989, the fledgling Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites (APCWS) scored its second-ever save when it formally took title to 1.5...
About the Trust
A Short History of the Battlefield Preservation Movement
A brief summary of the battlefield preservation movement and outlines the history and purpose of the American Battlefield Trust.
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Preservation
The first Revolutionary War preservation efforts began before the war even ended. Congress authorized a monument commemorating the victory at Yorktown...
