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Pipelines: A Threat to Virginia's History?

Preservation Virginia released its annual list of historic places under threat -- of demolishment, development, or apathy. This year, those places include an old slave dwelling outside of Danville, a chapel that served as one of the oldest schoolhouses on the Northern Neck, and an historic African-American cemetery in Charlottesville. 

But, says the group, more of Virginia’s historic places are facing another kind of threat. 

That threat is large-scale energy infrastructure, things like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, or transmission towers.

“That are necessary to move energy across Virginia, but really have to be done in a way that is sensitive to the fact that we are Virginia and one of the things we’re very proud of is our history,” says Elizabeth Kostelny, CEO of Preservation Virginia.

Kostelny says that because Virginia has an abundance of historic sites that aren’t always cataloged by a locality, infrastructure can easily barrel through the areas by accident. Another concern, is disrupting landscape that’s also a part of history. 

“If you think about standing at Mount Vernon and looking across the river, the Potomac, being able to sort of envision it the way George Washington did,” says Kostelny. 

Being on the list doesn’t provide any legal protection to the sites, but a bill that was tabled by Virginia’s legislature, and looks likely to be on the docket next year, would. 

This year's list includes: 

• African-American cemeteries state-wide, including The Daughters of Zion Cemetery in Charlottesville. 

Howland Chapel School in Heathsville.

• The General Assembly Building in Richmond.

Oak Hill Slave Dwelling in Danville.

Westwood Tract, a parcel of land in Richmond.

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