Military Significance of Property: The Grim Farm figured prominently in both the First and Second Kernstown Battles. During First Kernstown, Union artillery was positioned on the Grim property along Pritchard's Hill. In order for certain Union regiments to get to the Confederate position on Sand Ridge, they had to cross the Grim property.
During Second Kernstown, the Grim property was the center of the fighting. Union soldiers took up positions along the stone fences on the edge of the Grim property and along Pritchard's Lane. Union artillery fired from positions on Pritchard's Hill.
The Kernstown Battlefield is one of ten key battlefields that comprise our nation's first National Historic District, and the only one in those ten that does not have land set aside for Civil War interpretation and heritage tourism.
Environmental Significance: The effort to preserve the Grim Farm has been greeted with enthusiastic support from several environmental organizations. Development, both residential and industrial continually add new threats to the remaining open space of the area. The local chapter of the Audubon Society has expressed its concern that the development of the Grim Farm will have a serious, negative impact on the migrating birds and other wildlife that currently use the property's ponds, stream, wetlands, and apple orchards.
Architecture on the Property: There are several buildings located on the Grim Farm, three of which pre-date the Civil War. These include a farm shed, wheelwright's shop, and the 1854 Pritchard House. The tenant farmhouse is believed to have been built circa 1870. Because the property has been continuously farmed since the settling of the Shenandoah Valley, many of the remaining structures are farm related, and may have no historical value.
Future Plans for the Farm: The American Battlefields Protection Program (ABPP) provided the funds for the development of a Land Resource Management Plan. The Kernstown Battlefield Association hopes to use this plan as a guide in developing an appropriate management and interpretation program A copy is available for review at the Handley Library in Winchester, Virginia.
Property Availability: Because the Grim property straddles the Winchester City and Frederick County boundary, the city and county joined forces to purchase the property from the charitable trust established at the death of the owner. However, the beneficiaries of the trust brought suit in the Circuit Court charging that the trustee of the estate, F & M Bank of Winchester, had agreed to too low of a purchase price. A jury trial followed, which resulted in the purchase contract of $2.7 million being voided and the removal of F&M as the trustee. In January 1997, the Middleburg Bank of Middleburg, Virginia was named as the new trustee. The city and county announced they would not pursue the purchase any longer themselves, but would support the efforts of the KBA as an alternative buyer.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The Kernstown Battlefield Association is a non-profit 501c3, incorporated in July 1996, and granted its non-profit status in November 1996.
Various grants and donations will be used to supply $3 million of the $4 million needed to purchase the property at the end of September , 2000. Our 500 + members represent several organizations and individuals across the U.S. and Canada. Among these are several Civil War Round Tables, Reenactment Units, UDC and SCV Chapters, as well as organizations dedicated to natural conservation efforts.
Expenses for the KBA are nominal. There is no paid staff, everything is done by volunteers. The KBA has the endorsement of the city and county governments, and the local Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the KBA is an active participant in the Visit the Valley regional tourism efforts. Our Vice-President serves on the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Commission and we have allied ourselves with other historic preservationists, national Civil War groups, and conservation efforts.
We urge everyone interested in preserving our country's heritage, to join the KBA. Each membership adds to the funds available for the purchase of these hallowed grounds and is proof positive of the grassroots support that foundations look for in determining grant recipients. A downloadable Membership Form is available on this web site. If you would like additional information, please write us at: Kernstown Battlefield Association, P.O. Box 1327, Winchester, VA 22604.
