The Virginia Commonwealth’s historic significance just got a new nod from national officials. In May, Congress and President George W. Bush designated a 175-mile route from Gettysburg, Pa., to Charlottesville, Va., the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. About three-quarters of the route is in Virginia, between Leesburg and Charlottesville.
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground covers 200 years of American history, with Civil War battlefields, historic communities and lots of riveting pastoral farm and mountain scenery along the way. Group-friendly resorts, hotels and unique venues abound inside and near the corridor.
“This part of the country has soaked up more of the blood, sweat and tears of American history than any other part of the country,” declared C. Vann Woodward, a Yale University professor and one of the public-private nonprofit initiative’s early boosters. “It has bred more founding fathers, inspired more soaring hopes and ideals, and witnessed more triumphs, failures, victories, and lost causes than any other place in the country.”
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground’s website (www.hallowedground.org) enables visitors to research the corridor by interest: African American, Civil War, colonial, and presidential sites, among many others.
Following are highlights of three Virginia towns along the route:
Leesburg: Heritage meets the 21st century in this pulsating town, where modern eateries, shopping and commerce mingle with sites connected to famous Americans, including Dodona Manor, of Gen. George C. Marshall fame, and Morven Park, home of Virginia Gov. Westmoreland Davis. The Loudoun Courthouse site in the old town district dates to 1758, and walking tours of the 250-year-old town reveal more buildings and homes with interesting stories. Tuscarora Mill, known as “Tuskie’s,” is a local restaurant favorite housed inside the timbers of an old mill. Major meetings properties in the destination include Lansdowne Resort and the National Conference Center.
Middleburg: Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy aren’t the only notables who’ve loved this heart of Virginia Hunt Country, only an hour from Washington, D.C. Middleburg remains a place to see the rich and notable. Diners and overnight guests feel the history at Red Fox Inn, circa 1728, where George Washington and Civil War Gen. J.E.B. Stuart slept. Local pubs and historic country inns like Goodstone Inn & Estate preserve the area’s equestrian culture and host meetings, while organic and gourmet foods, riding clothes, antiques, and elegant household items from Europe provide retail therapy.
Charlottesville: Thomas Jefferson’s beloved Monticello estate and his academic legacy, the University of Virginia, are located in Charlottesville. A guided tour of the university grounds takes visitors into the Virginia Rotunda, Lawn and Pavilions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and core of Jefferson’s Academical Village. Jefferson labeled the lush rolling terrain around Charlottesville “Eden,” and today it holds wineries and unique historic lodgings for group gatherings, such as Prospect Hill and Keswick Hall. Other presidential homes in the vicinity include James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland and James Madison’s Montpelier. Among the group-friendly properties nearby are Boar’s Head Inn and Wintergreen Resort.
For More Info
Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership 540.882.4929 www.hallowedground.org
