Preserving our past

Endangered historic sites warrant protection, curate culture

he ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic reach even into the past — into historic places that are so important in the heritage of Virginia and our nation.

The struggling economy means that cities, counties and the commonwealth have less money in their budgets, and in tough times, preserving historic sites usually isn’t a high priority. Meanwhile, closed businesses, laid-off workers and widespread uncertainty means donations to nonprofit groups that help preserve our heritage are down.

If we are to continue to preserve the history that’s vital to Virginia’s culture, social fabric and our economy, we should do what we can to protect historic sites.

There’s plenty of debate these days over history in the commonwealth — about who we commemorate and how. Historic sites help us understand who we are as a nation, and why. They help us appreciate the sacrifices of those who have gone before and help us learn from the mistakes of the past.

Virginia has an especially rich heritage.

Many of the commonwealth’s important settlements, buildings, battlefields and other sites have been preserved, but there are lesser-known places that deserve broad support to keep them from disrepair.

In its annual listing of Virginia’s most endangered historic places, the statewide nonprofit Preservation Virginia urges government agencies and individuals to think creatively about ways to restore and preserve the sites that could soon be lost.

As Preservation Virginia points out, historic sites in minority communities tend to be among those most in danger. Four of the seven sites on this year’s list are in this often-overlooked category.

One of those is Rassawek, the historic capital of the Monacan Indian Nation, and one of its sacred sites. At the confluence of the Rivanna and James Rivers in Fluvanna County, Rassawek is where the James River Water Authority wants to build a water intake system. In part because so many other early Native American sites already have been lost, the Monacan Nation and Preservation Virginia are urging the water authority to use one of the alternative sites available.

Similarly, the Pine Grove School Community in Cumberland County is a 100year-old African American community centered on a school. It’s threatened by plans for a 1,200-acre landfill that, in addition to spoiling the historic atmosphere, would threaten the quality of the environment and the health of residents. There’s an unfortunate history in Virginia, as in much of the United States, of placing environmental hazards where minority and low-income people live. That’s reason enough for officials to look for another site.

Other sites on the list might be helped if local people step up and contribute money, volunteer labor and advocacy. Some sites need immediate attention to keep them intact while ways can be found to preserve them permanently.

Also on this year’s list are parts of our history we tend to take for granted until it’s too late. Most of the historic metal truss bridges that once carried roads across Virginia’s rivers and creeks already are gone.

These bridges are part of the essential character of Virginia’s landscape as well as of the history of engineering and technology.

More collaboration between the Virginia Department of Transportation and preservation groups could lead to planning, fundraising and better maintenance and preservation.

Residents of Hampton Roads can breathe a small sigh of relief that no historic site here made the “most endangered” list this year. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be mindful of the history around us, of places and structures that may be crumbling before we realize what they mean.

Nor does it mean that we shouldn’t care about the threatened historic places across the commonwealth, places that enrich our culture and understanding, contribute to the tourism economy and help make Virginia distinctive.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted us individually and collectively. While staying safe, we also need to look to the future and think about what matters in the long run. That includes our history.