Yesterday I accepted a very kind offer to take part in the Civil War Preservation Trust’s Teacher Institute in July 2010. I’ve been following their programs over the past few years and have to say that I am very impressed. This year the institute will be held in Hagerstown, MD July 16 – 18th, 2010. The battlefield we will be touring on Saturday is Gettysburg, the tours will be led by the National Park Service (Scott Hartwig & team) and Garry Adelman (doing a then and now photography tour). There is a limit of 200 teachers so you may want to register sooner than later. This is a free professional development opportunity, teachers only cover their travel and lodging; however, there are scholarships to cover even those costs. This sounds like a great deal and I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity to talk about something that is so important to me. I will be taking part in a panel discussion during the Saturday evening banquet to discuss the teaching of the Civil War with Web2.0 technology.
CWPT’s Teacher Institute (2010)
So What’s the Next Move?
I’ve stated that the proposed construction of a new Wal-Mart on the Wilderness battlefield is a bad idea and, along with 252 other historians, signed the Civil War Preservation Trust’s letter addressed to the CEO of the company. But even with all of the attention generated in newspapers over the past few weeks it is only a matter of time before permits are handed out and the ground paved over. What I want to know is at what point should preservationists begin to work with Wal-Mart to propose ways to minimize the site’s impact on the surrounding battlefield. Are there ways to configure the entrance, the parking lots, as well as the building itself in a way that would preserve some of the viewsheds? While I admire the efforts of the CWPT to bring the issue of battlefield preservation to the attention of the general public, it seems to me that an opportunity would have been lost if company executives are not engaged at all. How about asking Wal-Mart to buy a parcel of land in the area and donate it to the CWPT in the name of battlefield preservation?
That’s just one idea. What other ideas are out there?
Historians Against Wal-Mart
The battle continues over a proposed Wal-Mart, which will be placed on the Wilderness Battlefield just off the intersection of routes 20 and 3. Awhile back I was asked by the Civil War Preservation Trust to endorse a letter to be sent to the CEO of the company. Click here to read the letter and here to see who else signed it. It’s an impressive list that I don’t think will make a damn bit of difference to the suits in charge. [Note: both are pdf files.]
