National Preservation Group Unveils New Name, Logo to Mark Beginning of Civil War Sesquicentennial

(Washington, D.C.) – In a letter to its 55,000 members, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting Civil War battlefields announced this evening that it has shortened its name to the Civil War Trust.  To accompany the new identity, the group also debuted a dynamic new logo to better graphically represent its land conservation mission.  The changes coincide with the nation’s Civil War sesquicentennial commemoration, which begins in earnest this year.  Both transitions take effect immediately.

In a video message to the organization’s membership, Civil War Trust president James Lighthizer described the shift as part of a natural evolution in the organization’s efforts.

“After careful thought and deliberation, we determined that the time was right to modernize our image to better reflect the Civil War Trust’s mission and to reach more Americans concerned about our shared heritage,” he said.  “We hope that unveiling this change at such an exciting time — as the sesquicentennial stimulates interest in the Civil War and the hallowed battlegrounds where that conflict was decided — will also help generate greater support for battlefield preservation.  After all, what better way to commemorate the great struggle between North and South than to save the historic landscapes of the Civil War for our children and grandchildren?”

The new logo draws an explicit connection to preservation and the emotional tie to our past.  It honors the bravery of soldiers on both sides of the conflict, in whose memory the Civil War Trust works.  The logo features the silhouettes of two soldiers, each respectfully bearing the flag under which he fought and standing guard over the battlefields themselves.  To add further emphasis to the Trust’s land preservation imperative, the logo features the organization’s tag line, “Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields,” and its website, www.civilwar.org.

Lighthizer emphasized that the changes would have no impact on the organization’s operation or mission.

“Our friends and members can rest assured that there has been no change in our mission, staff or management,” Lighthizer noted.  “We are every bit the same efficient, vibrant and dynamic organization that our members believe in so passionately.  In the next few days we will prove it by announcing our first major land preservation campaign of the new year.”

With 55,000 members, the Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States.  Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds.  To date, the Trust has preserved more than 29,000 acres of battlefield in 20 states.  Learn more at www.civilwar.org.