LOCAL PRESERVATION
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY: DEVELOPING A HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM ON THE LOCAL LEVEL
By Sharon E. Pandak
The author is a partner in Greehan, Taves, Pandak & Stoner PLLC in Woodbridge, VA. She is the former Prince William County Attorney.
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Editor’s note: the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill said “All politics is local.” Some think all successful preservation is local too. The author worked with Prince William County officials and citizens to develop this preservation nonprofit when she was the county attorney there. The purpose of the foundation is to supplement funding from the county and other sources. The county has acquired and restored a number of sites over the last decade with this goal in mind.
Prince William County’s historic preservation program emerged as the 21st century began. The program included creation of the Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. The foundation’s mission is to supplement funding, provided by county government and state/federal grants, for acquisition and restoration of landmarks, increase public knowledge of the county’s rich historic past, and bring attention to the importance of sustained funding for preservation.
A 2002 agreement between the foundation and the board of county supervisors embodies close cooperation of a private nonprofit with county government. The foundation’s early years have been formative. They are poised to attract funds, members and supporters at a time when the county historic preservation program is maturing as opening of restored sites to the public occurs and the attention of national curators is captured.
Prior to 2000, the Manassas Battlefield Park dominated awareness of Prince William County history. However, as the century turned, citizen efforts to raise funds for restoring Brentsville Courthouse (19th century county seat, vacated after the Civil War) and the later Manassas Courthouse (site of a Jubilee of Peace at the beginning of the 20th century), and expansion of restoration at the 18th century Ben Lomond Manor House in western Prince William brought more recognition to other landmarks. Development was rapidly changing the landscape and deterioration of structures. County government leaders realized assistance was critical to save sites.
The Prince William County Comprehensive Plan now includes a cultural resources chapter to “facilitate and encourage the identification and protection of the county’s significant cultural resources” and an economic development goal strategy to “focus on tourism and historic preservation as positive contributors to economic development.” Receipt of a $3.85+ million judgment payment from the federal government* enabled the supervisors to buy Rippon Lodge and earmark funds for further historic preservation. (Rippon Lodge, circa 1747, is located off of Route 1 and nestled above the Potomac River. Rippon was built by Richard Blackburn, whose heir was aide de camp to George Washington. Its last resident family was headed by Admiral Richard Blackburn Black, who explored Antarctica with Admiral Byrd.)
In the fall of 2000, in responding to supervisor questions about the role of citizens groups in preservation efforts, County Executive Craig Gerhart and Public Works Director Robert Wilson recommended “friends of” groups for each county owned site to enlist citizen support from the surrounding community.
By late 2001, the need for consolidation of preservation efforts within county government was apparent. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors had adopted strategic goals to increase and protect the county’s inventory of historic structures, at that time eight structures at the four aforementioned sites. Acquisition of Rippon Lodge and possible purchase of Mt. Atlas in Gainesville made this more clear. To address this concern, the board approved a historic preservation management plan proposed by Craig Gerhart.
Historic Rippon Lodge (c. 1747) in the snow.
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The plan includes a two tiered approach to private fundraising, in addition to funding through the capital improvements plan, and state/federal grants:
1) Continued use of the self organized “friends of groups, and
2) A historic preservation foundation. The foundation would engage in fundraising that could not readily be done by government. The foundation concept was vetted at a public information meeting. Assistant County Attorney Angela Lemmon Horan prepared articles of incorporation and by–laws using the Prince William Library Foundation model that she had previously incorporated.
In January 2002, the supervisors approved creation of the foundation, articles of incorporation, by–laws and an agreement with the foundation. It allocated $10,000 for fundraising expenses with the proviso that the first fundraising “cost recovered” this amount.
*The over $3.85 judgement paid by the federal government was the result of litigation that the author brought on behalf of the county when she was county attorney. The county obtained reimbursement for the 16 plus acres of land taken by the federal government which it acquired the property known as the William Center (that was to become a mall) to add it to the Manassas Battlefield Park. The federal government did this through congressional legislation. During the 14 years of legislation the author handled for the county, the board of supervisors mad an offer of settlement of where it promised to use the money for historic preservation. The federal government ignored the proposal but once the county won the case, the board of supervisors committed to use it for preservation, and the county executive was ready to go with dramatically enhancing the program. The judgement covered all of the county’s costs which were relatively small since they handled the litigation in house and did not pay for the land taken in the first place.
The foundation was incorporated July 3, 2003 and obtained an federal employer identification number. In December, 2006, the Internal Revenue Service approved its § 501©)(3) nonprofit status. Manassas accountant Richard Hendershot donated his firm’s services to prepare the first annual IRS filing. The Prince William County Attorney’s office files annual State Corporation Commission reports for the foundation.
The foundation’s initial board consisted of nine county staff and citizens. The board was selected with a focus on generating broad support for preservation, and initially included nationally known planner, the late Alan Voorhees, military history preserver Alan Cors, local and Richmond developer David Cloak, former County Information Officer Kathy Bentz, and Debra Black–Decko, daughter of Admiral Black, (who sold Rippon to the county). Retired Circuit Court Judge Arthur Sinclair (whose great grandfather saved court records during the Civil War) was the first president.
Historic Brentsville Courthouse (c. 1820) is part of Prince
William County's preservation efforts.
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The foundation board continues to include people from across Prince William who share a love of history and the county. Current members include Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Wieder, Dominion Virginia Power Regional Representative Deborah Tompkins Johnson, present and former historical commission members Jane MacDonald, Sara Anderson and Vernelle St. Dennis, and Brentsville Courthouse Friends member John Brady. County Executive Gerhart is also a board member. Current President Mark Trbovich is a county Civil War historian. The directors’ community roots explain their abilities to bring attention to the importance of sustained funding for preservation.
Old Manassas Courthouse is being preserved for future
generations to enjoy and be educated.
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The foundation board’s bimonthly meetings to plan fundraising activities are held at the restored Manassas Courthouse, Rippon Lodge, recently acquired Williams Ordinary in Dumfries, the school house at Brentsville Courthouse in Bristow, or Lucasville School, the last remaining one room school for African American children in the county. At meetings, staff updates the board on the progress of historic restoration at the county owned sites. Foundation annual meetings include a presentation on an aspect of preservation.
The foundation’s overall mission is to seek private, corporate and other funding through memberships and donations. Control, management, direction and policy over the Prince William Historic Preservation Program remain with the county. Pursuant to their agreement, the foundation members agree with the supervisors on an annual work plan. This focuses its fundraising activities.
Staff, led by the first Historic Preservation Manager Brendon Hanafin, prepares the annual work plan. The work plan contains projects, not funded by the supervisors through its regular budgeting process for that year, that the county executive or the public works director desire to fund. The foundation provides input on the draft. Upon work plan approval by the supervisors, the foundation in conjunction with staff adopts a foundation work plan for county executive approval. The foundation undertakes those active fundraising activities in its work plan or that the county executive or public works director separately approves.
The foundation recently launched its website: www.pwhpf.org. The website’s colonial script and parchment like background describe the foundation and provide a virtual tour of featured county owned historic sites. Contributions can be made through PayPal. The foundation opened a bank account to receive donations made over the internet in coordination with the county finance department. Donations funded creation of the website. A local business designed the website. Now viewers can “Just click: See and make history come alive.”
In addition to specific fundraising projects, the foundation seeks members. Its latest membership brochure is being printed. Memberships start at $35 with student memberships at $10. Contributing, sustaining, patron and corporate memberships are encouraged. A calendar or poster of county landmarks is used to acknowledge large donations. Annually, members receive a letter encouraging them to renew and consider joining the board of directors.
Through the county agreement, the Division of Historic Preservation Manager Hanafin, and his staff Barbara Rahll and Heather Hembrey provide administrative assistance. They reserve meeting space, prepare minutes and keep foundation records.
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
The foundation board has experimented with hiring consultants to assist in fundraising with limited success. It now will contract for help for specific events and seek a more comprehensive future approach. The Prince William area has many resources and the foundation anticipates contributions from businesses.
The foundation is framing a public relations effort to raise funds for a $2.5 million visitors center at Rippon Lodge. The visitors center will introduce residents and visitors to Prince William County’s historic “pearls.” It will contain displays of artifacts from all periods of county history, and help increase tourism to landmarks.
The foundation can further preservation by acquiring a property and selling to a buyer who will maintain the historic features. Government cannot own every historically important site in Prince William. The foundation can augment preservation by ensuring that properties, for example houses, are preserved and returned to the tax rolls.
The foundation members maintain that the quality of the county’s historic preservation will attract major foundations and historical preservation donors in the upcoming months. This is timely because the extensive work over the last ten years is bearing fruit in the opening of several properties to the public. Historic landmarks build a positive image of the county, and tourism at these sites benefits county businesses. The foundation offers people an ability to make county’s historic sites flourish. As Foundation President Mark Trbovich says, “By generous contributions, each of us can help preserve the past so that we can enjoy it now and make it available for future generations.” The Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation – Prince William County government partnership enhances the county’s financial ability to preserve its past.[VR]
