WASHINGTON 鈥� One of Virginia’s remaining stone-arch bridges, which also witnessed a prologue to the Battle of Gettysburg, is joining Northern Virginia鈥檚 collection of protected parks.
Goose Creek Bridge was built around 1802 during Thomas Jefferson鈥檚 first presidential term. It had aged about 60 years when the broke out in June of 1863.
Today, it’s one of four stone-arch bridges that remain in the Commonwealth, according to the Civil War Trust.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the preservation announcement, Gov. Terry McAuliffe noted that a big part of the state鈥檚 tourism income is because of visits to historic sites such as battlefields.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not only about the money, which is important to do the things we need to do, but it鈥檚 about our future,鈥� McAuliffe said.
鈥淲hat you see here is a living classroom,鈥� he added, while acknowledging students from Middleburg Montessori School who were on hand to help cut the ribbon.
When history lovers and preservation allies assemble to preserve historic treasures, 鈥渨e assure that these grounds will be there for our children, our children鈥檚 children and even their children,”聽said Phyllis J. Randall, chair of Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, who also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Going forward, the great stories about what happened here will be told,鈥澛燫andall said.
According to the , former U.S. Senator John Warner donated 12 acres next to Goose Creek Bridge to the years ago, 鈥渨hich he knew, long before any of us, was important 鈥� These battlefields are filled with our American stories and must be shared,鈥� said NOVA Parks board member Cate Wyatt.
Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club worked to preserve the bridge and looked after it for several decades. The Civil War Trust will turn over that land along with a neighboring VDOT parcel to , the preservation group that is taking over public stewardship of the bridge and 20 acres around it.
