Even Pamplin Park is Suffering

I see that eventually becoming Park Service Property much like the Rosensteel Museum in Gettysburg did…

But yes, what a great place.

It was my understanding that Pamplin Park has been struggling since the day it opened — sad to say. Petersburg, as you mention, despite its importance, is somehow eclipsed, and off the beaten track.

My Brother-In-Law lives a couple of blocks from Grant’s Headquarters at City Point in Petersburg, and I go to Petersburg Often. This past Summer and Fall, my Wife and I have made a project of Visiting Several Battlefields around Petersburg and Richmond. Both Cities are afflicted with the same issues of City Government populated by large numbers of Blacks, who do not see the need or requirement of using their Civil War History to Attract Visitors.

Our Trips to: Malvern Hill, Glendale (Frazier’s Farm), Charles City Road, White’s Tavern, Darbytown Road, Newmarket Heights, Fort Harrison, Cold Harbor, Gaines Mill, Beaverdam Creek, Savages Station, Haw’s Shop, Nelson’s Crossing, Hanover Court House, Ashland, City Point, Cogging’s Point, Petersburg NPS Battlefield, Old Town Petersburg – Visitors Ctr, Jerusalem Plank Rd, Globe Tavern, Fort’s Fisher & Conahey, Church Road, Squirrell Level Rd, Weldon RR, Vaughn Rd, Boydton Plank Rd, White Oak Rd, Five Forks, Dinwiddie Courthouse, Chamberlyn’s Run, Hatcher’s Mill, Ream’s Station, Stony Creek, Sappony Church, and Five Forks resulted in having to Stop for Awhile, while I showed my Wife Maps and Explained the Events that Happened in these Areas. She couldn’t believe that so many men fought in these areas, so many died, and so many men who were wounded, and there was an absence of visitors or hardly any indication that a Historic Event happened at the location.

My Hat’s Off to Pamplin Park – They are a Real Jewel in an area that Local and State Government has too many other Issues on their Menu to provide the Resources to Interpret the “Fields of Conflict”. No wonder so many of these “Fields of Conflict” are disappearing to the developer and promoters of other ventures. The Museum of the Confederacy now fighting for it’s survival as developement all around it by the Medical College of Virginia has almost swallowed the location. Pamplin Park now joins the Museum of the Confederacy in a Fight for Survival, while City Fathers from Petersburg and Richmond could care less if the Survival Happens.

The Largest Battlefields have a Very Low Visitor Attendance. Malvern Hill is a location that I have been to dozens of times in the past few years, and I am lucky to see a Half Dozen Visitors in the Hour that I walk the Fields. Occasionaly a Tour Comes Through, and Virginia has been making efforts to locate “Interpertative Signage” at Points of Events and Actions that Occurred, however some areas like the Battle of Williamsburg, Squeezed out by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has Hundreds of Thousands of Visitors in the Area, but Very Few on the Fields of Battle. My Friend from the NPS at Yorktown, I was in the Military with ,will Conduct an Hour Tour with Visitors on the Yorktown Battlefield, and the “Civil War Siege of Yorktown” may come out, Only if a Visitor Asks About It.

I am Interested in the Pamplin Park, as on their property, I believe the Battle of Jones Farm occurred Sept. 30th and Harmon Road Oct 2nd of 1864. The Tar Heel Cavalry Brigade of Rufus Barringer were involved with both, and the Camp for the Tar Heel Cavalry Regiments for Awhile were in the Fields along the Harman Road / Boydton Plank Road Entrenchements. My plans were to visit this Spring, and I hope they will still be around for the opportunity.

The Virginia Sesquecentennial is due to Kick Off in 2009, and Perhaps some Planning may Benefit the Regions Many Battlefields Visitation. I have reservations as too many in the Local, Cities and State Governments have Other Agendas than the Civil War.