Preserving a community's Civil War heritage

National Park Service

This guidebook describes the financial, advisory, and technical assistance available and the benefits that are available to a private landowner or policymaker choosing to protect Civil War sites on their land. Civil War sites have traditionally been viewed as an obstacle to development. The purpose of this guidebook is to explore the potential of a partnership for protection of a community’s Civil War resources. A growing number of landowners now recognize the value of Civil War resources on their property and in their community and with to conserve these resources for future generations. Georgia and Tennessee have a wide variety of approaches to assist landowners and communities in protecting Civil War Sites. The array of options include technical information, financial contributions for projects or practices that have long-term protection, and payment at fair market rates for placing permanent protection on Civil War sites. Until this guidebook, there was no one source where the landowner or policymaker could turn for easy-to-read practical information on protecting Civil War sites and how to make the most of them. This guide provides basic information about assistance options along with references for more information.