The Two Rivers Giving Circle has honored the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association (SBPA) with its 2023 Conservation Award. The award was presented at a picnic held the afternoon of Aug. 26, at Far Away Farm, just southeast of Shepherdstown, which is part of the site of the Battle of Shepherdstown.
The association was formed in 2005 to protect and preserve the Battle of Shepherdstown site. Read the full article at The Shepherdstown Chronicle online.
SBPA President Dr. Mike Nickerson hosted a distinguished visitor to the Shepherdstown Battlefield on Friday afternoon, October 27, namely the acting Superintendent of the Harper’s Ferry National Park.
Superintendent Tanya Gossett enjoyed the tour, viewed battle artifacts and information, and discussed the future options for establishing a new National Battlefield associated with both Harper’s Ferry and Antietam.
She praised the 19 years of preservation efforts by the SBPA, Jeff Co Historic Landmarks Commission, the WV Farmland Protection Board and the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle. Thanks for your support Tanya!
The SBPA was pleased to host a group from the Potomac Valley Audubon Society this week at the Osbourn Farm and Riverside Park. The visit builds on a partnership to improve habitat in the battlefield as part of the SBPA’s Birds in the Battlefield project.
Dr. Nickerson presented the battle and battlefield, while the PVAS group tabulated quite a list of birds! Thanks Nancy, et al. What great weather for our outing!
See below for more details, the bird count and pix!
https://ebird.org/checklist/S153037368 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S153040746
This week, Battlefield Volunteers Steve and Mike Nickerson installed 2 owl boxes that Steve built on the Osbourn Farm! Find both boxes and win a prize! This is part of the Birds in the Battlefield project with the Potomac Valley Audubon Society to improve battlefield habitat.
We also looked at an unsecured barn door. Thanks Steve!
Dr. Mike Nickerson, President, SBPA and Grant Smith, President, Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle gave a luncheon presentation to the Shepherdstown Area Independent Living (SAIL) group about the past, present and future of the Shepherdstown Battlefield, and an update on our valued partners’ efforts to preserve the Battlefield.
The meeting occurred at the Trinity Church at their September meeting at noon on Friday, September 22. About 25 attendees enjoyed lunch, history and mechanisms for land preservation and conservation including land trust and farmland easements.
Questions followed about local history, battlefield artifacts, prospects for a new National Battlefield and about local families such as the Botelers (Cement Mill owners), Blackfords (Ferry operators and MD farms) and the Folks-Myers-Lowes.
The SBPA had an information table with books, maps, merchandise, pamphlets and battlefield artifacts. Of great interest, a participant was able to identify an artifact from the Battlefield found by Dr. Nickerson that was unknown for many years. It is a saddle horn ‘tree’ that was part of a ‘McClellan’ saddle that was in standard use by the Union Calvary during the Civil War. How great is that?
A Battlefield Picnic on the Osbourn Farm was hosted by the SBPA on August 26 from 4 – 6 pm. It was a highlight of the 2023 summer! The SBPA received the 2023 Conservation Award from the Two Rivers Giving Circle.
The picnic was ‘sold out’ at 65 people and the SBPA took the lead on renting a tent, tables and chairs. Live music was provided by a local band from Packhorse Ford, “Paul the Resonator and the Potomac Valley Dustbusters”.
In addition to the presentation of the award, Dr. Nickerson, SBPA President, thanked the SBPA Officers and Board of Directors, our Donors and Supporters, our Preservation Partners, the many Volunteers and Battlefield neighbors, and our County, State and Federal representatives for their long term and continued support.
The sound system was provided by Bill Unger and catered appetizers were from Grazeful, LLC., from Martinsburg. Thank you to the Two Rivers Giving Circle, volunteers who helped set up and clean up, and all who attended. Thanks for mowing the lawn Julie!
Click here to read the rest of the article.
On Saturday August 19, 2023 the SBPA presented a table at a local music and agriculture festival near Shepherdstown.
The Tomato Jam Festival was a success with over 300 people attending.
At our booth we discussed the battle and our efforts to preserve properties, and showed books, maps, artifacts, pamphlets and MORE.
Volunteer Pam Underhill (pictured) did some Table Time, and also thanks to Rosemary and Hannah Nickerson and the Russo family for a great day.
This article, written in 2019 by David Lillard for the WV Independent Observer, is worth reposting now that we have secured the Osbourn Farm!
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Sunday, September 17, 2023: Jim Surkamp is doing a 40 minute walking tour then showing a 30 minute video about the impact of the Antietam Battle on Shepherdstown. Jim advises that:
“The walking tour will address the care of the wounded in Shepherdstown during that September using many unpublished diary accounts of young women and townspeople. Any of your members who wish to join the tour need to email ME at [email protected] . . . Telling me that they “DEFINITELY WILL ATTEND”, “MIGHT ATTEND” OR “WILL NOT ATTEND” the walking tour before the showing at the Opera House. It is limited to twenty people and we prefer members of the sponsoring organizations.”
The video, “Shepherdstown Remembers Antietam” will be shown at the Opera House.
Please read this announcement from Harriet Pearson of the Opera House for more information.