Statewide Preservation plan
TCWPA is pleased to report tremendous progress has been made on the Statewide Preservation Plan which continues to be the Board’s highest priority project. We are grateful for the work of our all-volunteer planning team headed by board member Mike Countess who has led the effort to assess site data to characterize the 122 battlefields’ current condition and opportunities for preservation and interpretation. The Statewide Preservation Plan has been drafted by Countess and is currently under review for editing by Board member Phil Walker.
Special thanks to the all-volunteer planning team including Board members Mike Countess, Anthony Hodges, grand division “captains,” Aaron Astor, Jim Lewis, Daniel Taylor and Steve McDaniel. Ongoing efforts include the utilization of social media to communicate with members and others to obtain information about the battlefields. The social media posts have been successful and pulled in volunteers like Bob Ireland of who provided additional information about battlefield assessments and prepared a MailChimp story on Thompson’s Station. Without our partners this project could not have happened.
We extend a special thanks to the Tennessee Historical Commission for providing a grant to assist in funding this important project.
The Statewide Preservation Plan will provide a dynamic process that compiles battlefield site data, identifies opportunities and priorities, manages information, and facilitates preservation strategies. This process has been driven by considerable research and planning of the Civil War Sites Advisory
Commission (CWSAC) and years of organizational engagement by the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association. The plan is developed to be updated periodically with new and revised information.
Components of the Preservation Plan process and associated recommendations are explained in detailed flowchart below:
In addition, the following Preservation Plan activities are complete or in process:
- Launched new redesigned website, www.tcwpa.org, including an innovative interactive.
- Statewide Preservation Plan has been drafted for review by Executive Committee.
- Regional indings and Summary Reports previously are incorporated into the Preservation Plan.
- The Plan which will be featured and downloadable at www.tcwpa.org
- Executive Summary will be available as a brochure and online.
- Brief descriptions for all 122+ battlefield assessments are are nearly complete.
- Brief descriptions for the 38 Principal battlefields are nearly complete.
- Online printable pdfs of Battlefield Assessments are now available at www.tcwpa.org.
