The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation has preserved the historic 98-acre Webb Farm on the Cross Keys Battlefield. This significant achievement underscores the Battlefields Foundation’s commitment to preserving the Shenandoah Valley’s rich Civil War history and their continued effort to conserve open space in Rockingham County and throughout the Valley.
The Webb Farm, owned in 1862 by Dr. J. B. Webb, is a crucial part of the Cross Keys Battlefield. This battle played a pivotal role at the end of “Stonewall” Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign. The preservation of this land ensures that future generations can continue to learn and draw meaning from this historic landscape. The farm witnessed intense fighting throughout the day with Jackson’s Confederates taking up positions along Mill Creek Ridge and engaging in fierce skirmishes with Fremont’s Federal army.
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the landowners, Fred and Jane Cline, who agreed to donate an easement on the property, the Battlefields Foundation and its members were able to secure this preservation victory. The Clines wanted to protect their property because they “have been concerned with the incredible amount of development in the Shenandoah Valley” and wanted to prevent “the loss of another working farm.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the Clines for their generosity and dedication to preserving our shared heritage,” said Keven Walker, CEO of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. “The preservation of the Webb Farm is a testament to the power of collaboration and the enduring importance of protecting our historic landscapes.”
The Battlefields Foundation has preserved over 7,300 acres in the National Historic District. The Battlefields Foundation and its partners have already preserved 1,900 acres in Rockingham County and are actively working on preserving another 300 acres between the Cross Keys and Port Republic battlefields.
With the support of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the area around the Webb Farm and other properties at the Cross Keys and Port Republic battlefields will be opened to the public with new walking trails and interpretive signs as part of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Tourism Infrastructure Plan. As part of this partnership, wayfinding signage was recently installed from Interstate 81 and Route 33 to the battlefields to promote the sites and guide visitors.
