Inside the National Trust

By ARNOLD BERKE

(Drawing by Richard Thompson)

Congress came through for history last fall by creating a new national park embracing Belle Grove Plantation, a Trust historic site near Middletown, Va. The 3,000-acre unit is called the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park—a bit of a jawbreaker, yes, but the only national park with a Trust site in its name. Both the plantation and the Civil War battlefield of Cedar Creek next door will retain their private but open-to-the-public status. The two sites and the county parks agency already own a third of the land in the Shenandoah Valley preserve, the rest to be acquired by the National Park Service from willing owners. Interpretation of the area will span its whole history, from the original Native American presence down to the present day. More than a decade in the making, the park was shepherded through Congress by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), buoyed by support from the Trust, other conservation organizations, and area residents.

… The memory of war has often inspired music. Now the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg has led to an orchestral composition whose inspiration is a book by Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. We Are Met at Gettysburg, premiered Jan. 4 by the Philadelphia Orchestra, draws from Moe’s 1993 book The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers. Although that regiment of 262—fighting alongside 35,000 Pennsylvanians at Gettysburg—was nearly decimated, it proved pivotal in the Union victory 140 years ago. The music’s bistate roots are reflected in its creation by Minnesotan Steve Heitzeg and Pennsylvanian Amy Scurria as well as in its co-commission from the Minnesota Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The themes of the three-movement work are Gettysburg’s people—soldiers, families, and residents—its landscape, and reconciliation. A movement of the piece is dedicated to the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone.

… Good news from the planning wars: Oregon’s Measure 7 has been struck down. The radical initiative, passed by voters in 2000, would have made state and local governments pay private property owners for any loss of value caused by land-use actions—rezonings, say—effectively preventing them from enforcing planning, preservation, and environmental laws. The relatively unheralded decision last October by the Oregon Supreme Court capped a lawsuit against the measure that was bird-dogged by 1000 Friends of Oregon. Among the plaintiffs were Audrey McCall, widow of Gov. Tom McCall (R), famous for propelling the state into land-use-pioneering prominence in the 1970s.

… To aid your own community’s case against those tiresome property rights claims, read the new edition of Takings Law in Plain English. This National Trust booklet spells out what local governments can and can’t do, legally, when their interests compete with those of individual property owners and explains the principles that courts take into account when deciding takings cases. Written by attorneys Christopher J. Duerksen and Richard J. Roddewig, the publication also reviews the major takings-related court decisions and shows communities how to gird themselves against claims through land-use laws and plans that are clear and fair. Order Takings Law for $10 at www.preservationbooks.org or by calling (202) 588-6296.

… My old friend Sy Gezundt called the other day. As usual, he had a bit of preservation humor to offer—Sy thinks we need more—and would I try it out on the readers? Certainly, I said, so here goes: If the electrical engineering folks decided to create a list of their historic achievements, would they call it the National Resister?

… The National Trust Member Center is not, despite its classy name, a suite of offices here at headquarters. The new service resides right in your computer, as part of the Trust’s Web site. Packed with facts about member benefits and Trust activities, the center shows you how to—for instance—become a member, join again, get special travel discounts, and learn about the doings of fellow Trustites through discussion groups. For those with some free time, there’s even a link to a state-by-state listing of volunteer opportunities. Another bennie: e-mailed information updates on preserving historic houses and other properties. And you can contribute to the Trust here; the membership staff reports a threefold rise in on-line donations since the center debuted. Click directly to the site via http://member.nationaltrust.org.

… Does the sight of a recently restored building, gleaming splendidly in the sun, thrill you? Of course it does. So how about thanking those who toiled to give you that pretty place? Nominate them for a National Trust Honor Award. Since 1971, all sorts of people and groups have been honored annually for all species of projects (not just buildings, mind you). For nomination info, send an e-mail to awards@nthp.org, download forms at www.nationaltrust.org/preservation_awards, or call (202) 588-6236. The deadline is May 1. Winners soak up applause every fall at the National Preservation Conference, this year in Denver.

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