Letter from the President
The Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association’s mission is to protect, interpret and make accessible Tennessee’s surviving Civil War battlefields and contributing landscapes. Preservation does not happen by working alone. Preservation brings us together – as a state, as a community and as Tennesseans. Our state’s nickname, The Volunteer State, says a lot about the type of people who play a role in making preservation happen in Tennessee.
As we traveled across the state this year on our preservation and education tours, I could not help but notice that whether it was a small community like Pulaski wanting to install a Civil War Trails marker or a community recognized as a national model for historic preservation like Franklin working to save a Civil War battlefield, our people continue to recognize the importance of preservation and interpretation. Preservation through partnerships can create a sense of community and preserved character. TCWPA is very fortunate to have preservation friends and partners who help on our journey to protect and interpret Tennessee’s Civil War battlefields.
We are grateful for our long-standing and new members, state and national partners who recognize the role Tennessee played in the Civil War and the importance of preserving these special places. Preservation partners like TCWPA’s Board members, American Battlefield Trust, National Park Partners, The Land Trust of Tennessee, Tennessee Historical Commission, and Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area are all key partners as we work together to forge the way toward preserving and interpreting Civil War battlefields.
Our partnership with the Tennessee Historical Commission assisted in funding and completion of TCWPA’s Statewide Preservation Plan. This has been a very busy year for TCWPA, with the launch of a redesigned website, www.tcwpa.org, completion of a “first of its kind” Statewide Preservation Plan to accelerate and guide our future work, and development of an online interactive map to allow viewers to research and explore over 122+ battlefield sites. The Statewide Preservation Plan and Summary Report are now available on our website, www.tcwpa.org, or you can request a printed Summary Report by sending an email to info@tcwpa.org. We would love your feedback on the Preservation Plan.
Working with our local partners to offer educational and preservation tours TCWPA and our members visited Fort Negley, Belmont Mansion, and Lookout Mountain in 2023. The Fall Three Star Preservation tour held in October in partnership with Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center and led by tour leader National Park Service Historian Jim Ogden was attended by more than 50 people. In addition, working in partnership with TCWPA Board member Curt Fields and National Park Partners we offered a first-person program on the life of U.S. Grant with an emphasis on his experiences in Chattanooga in 1863.
The “Meet the General” educational tour was a great success and attended by more than 80 adults and students. These are just a few examples of how TCWPA is working with our partners, foot soldiers, to make preservation happen across our state. People, both young and old, are essential to preserve the important places that are part of Tennessee’s national heritage and our Civil War story.
Finally, let me thank you personally for your support and partnership with the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association. We could not accomplish our many goals without YOU and the support you provide. Working together we can continue to forge new partnerships to engage Tennessee’s next generation of historians and preservationists to Save Our Battlefields.
With warmest regards,
Anthony Hodges
