Learn how one family took action to preserve their property’s forest and rich history forever

Strolling through the Bullard family’s property outside Strasburg, Virginia, you’ll come across some remarkable features: old stone walls, the foundation of a large spring-house from the 1800s, a verdant forest, ponds and tributary streams -- and parts of two Civil War battlefields.

This land outside of Strasburg, Virginia is rich with both historic and ecological value. That’s why we’re thrilled it officially became permanently protected by a conservation easement this February. An easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that restricts some land uses and preserves a property’s inherent conservation value.

It can take a village to preserve such a treasured place. Nearly 50 people, including the Bullard family and Potomac Conservancy staff, worked together to protect this special land for generations to come.

Let’s explore this remarkable place to learn why the work is so worth it!

A family devoted to their home

Blake and Tamara Bullard are in their early 40s, are substantially renovating the property’s historic home and barn, and have four kids (😩😴)! On top of all that, they are proactive about restoring and conserving their property’s land and water.

Although the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) holds and has long-term responsibility for the care of the Bullard easement, Emily Warner, Potomac Conservancy’s Senior Director of Land Conservation, led the landowners down the easement path. She helped them apply to DHR, secure funding for the project, and make sure the process was successful.

The easement won’t stop the family from improving the land (a pick-your-own pumpkin patch may be on the horizon!) - but it will ensure the land will maintain its unique history, of course.

History worth remembering

Lying within the borders of the property are parts of the Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek Civil War battlefields. Some of the property’s stone structures date back to the 1820s, meaning they survived the battles that raged across the fields.

So what exactly did this land witness during the war? On September 21 and 22, 1864, during the Battle of Fisher’s Hill, Confederate troops positioned themselves northeast of the present-day Bullard property. As the battle progressed, the Union army advanced, causing the Confederates to retreat through the property along Valley Turnpike (what is now U.S. Route 11).

This victory bolstered Union spirits as the end of the war began to come into sight. About one month after the defeat of the Confederates at Fisher’s Hill, the Union declared another win at the Battle of Cedar Creek. The Bullard property contains about 18 acres of the Cedar Creek Battlefield.

These victories helped cement support for President Abraham Lincoln’s re-election and the Union cause.

Forests and streams worth protecting

If the history of this property isn’t awesome enough, it also holds many beautiful and beneficial environmental features. Of the nearly 200-acre property, 155 acres is native forest, complete with two miles of streamside tree buffers.

These buffers play an important role in keeping the property’s two tributaries and a stream called Mulberry Run healthy. These soon-to-be-protected waters flow a short distance downhill and provide clean water to the North Fork and Shenandoah Rivers.

Thanks to the Bullard family’s conservation efforts, the streams, forest, and historic features on their land will forever be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.

This property — now among 75+ properties that Potomac Conservancy has helped permanently protect — reminds us why we are so passionate about preventing destruction of such beloved natural spaces. From the streams, forests, and fields to the barns, walls, and wells — they all have a story to tell.

Help us defend the Potomac’s forests!

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