Evening star., 1936-03-19
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
The cornfields and pastures across
which was fought the first major en-
gagement of the Civil War at last is
to become a national park.
The Federal Government, through
the Rural Resettlement Administra-
ton. has acquired approximately $500
acres along Bull Run Greek, near
Manassas, and already more than $50
men are at work clearing away the
land and determining landmarks.
This area. 1t is expected. will become
the nucleus for a battlefield park,
which eventually will contain nearly
10 900 acres-or most of the territory
over which the embattled armies
fought in 1861.
While the scenes OF most of the
larger Civil War engagements long
since have become the property OF
the Nation, of States. or of private
associations. which have made them
into national shrines, this area has
remained in farm land with practi-
cally no control over its development.
Markers erected along the highways
by the State and a few regimental
and State monuments have been about
the only evidence that a great battle
was fought there. Since the place
has been accessible by good roads dur
ing the last decade thousands OF tour
lists have been there.
Efforts of patriotic groups in the
past to acquire a large part Of the
tract have not been successful. The
Federal Government had its hands
tied through the regulation which
has prevented purchasing land for
park purposes. Such land must come
as a gift, and the Government only
undertakes the administration and
development of it. So Bull Run has
remained the largest neglected Civil
War shrine.
Resettlement LoophoIe.
The provision by which the Reset
tlement Administration is enabled to
purchase submarginal farm land Of
fered loophole.
Some of the land over which the
most significant battle movements
took place clearly was submarginal.
in the sense that the average farmer
could not make a fair living on it.
Some was excellent farming land. but
the land purchase appropriation Is
available for purchasing a limited
amount of fertile acreage in order to
get holdings in solid blocks so that
1t can be developed to the best ad-
vantage.
The best use of the Bull Run bat
| tlefleld, the Resettlement Admins
tration decided, was not for indiffer-
ent farming, but for national shrine.
When the land is acquired and the
restoration work completed the whole
will be handed over to the National
Park Service for administration. Ex-
perts from this branch of the Govern
ment are experimenting the work.
If 1t were not for this lucky wind
fall 1t is doubtful whether the battle
field area would have belonged to the
| Government for years to come.
The area lies just west of Manassas.
1t includes the Chinn House, which
served as hospital during the bat
tie. This was in dilapidated condi-
ton. 1t will be restored to approx
mately its condition in 1861. 1t also
includes the railroad entertainments
and the stone bridge. which played
important parts in the battle. The
stone house." which served as Con-
fe6erate headquarters, is not included
in the property purchased or under
option.
Work Under Way Soon.
1t Is expected that the work will
be fairly we'll under way by the time
the bulk of tourist traffic starts in the
early Summer. They will find i'm
portant sites on the battlefield well
marked with cleared trails, which will
make them of easy access. Some
farming may be permitted in the fu-
ture merely to preserve the Civil War
atmosphere, with the National Parks
Service having Jurisdiction over the
type of farm buildings erected and
the crops raised.
This small resettlement area is part
Of more than $4,000 acres of made
quate farm land in Virginia which
has been acquired or optioned by the
Resettlement Administration and is
being developed under National Park
Service direction purely for recre-
ational purposes. Besides the Chopa-
wamsic Greek Park being developed for
| the National Capital there is a very
similar park miles south OF Rich
mond which is being developed in the
same way as recreation grounds for
that city. This includes nearly 5000
acres of wornout and eroded tobacco
land purchased from the owners for
100000
In the same way approximately TO-
600 acres have been added to the
Shenandoah National Park by pur-
chasing the almost untillable farm
land on the outskirts. approximately
l20 families are to be moved to bet
ter land.
The Virginia projects comprise part
OF program of the Resettlement Ad-
ministration which calls for turning
nearly a half million acres of SUBJ
@~~eeA oAAAs~A A0A AA 4a4lo Ill pdTIS Oh
the country into IS recreational dem
onstrational areas. Most of the land
already is purchased or optioned and
Is being developed by C. C. C. camps
or w. P. A. workers.
The development of these tracts IS
intended to demonstrate to States and
counties one If the primary uses to
which land unsuitable for farming
can be put of value to society. The
considerations are that most of the
land must be- agriculturally in
adequate, located neat centers of
population, capable Of recreational
development and contain scenic or
historic attractions. The program
itself is expected to make only a
small dent in the rundown farming
land Of the country which, the Reset
tlement Administration engineers be-
lieve, should be vacated. They hope,
however, that it will show the way.
Many Shrines Developed.
TT is making r,0SSihle the ac0rYire.