MIDDLETOWN, Va. — The Town of Middletown has acquired and permanently preserved about 2 acres of historically significant land at 209 Mineral Street within the core area of the Cedar Creek Battlefield.
The property was purchased for $81,000 after owners Keith R. Tump and Karolyn Jane Plaskota reduced the price from $110,000 to help ensure the land would be preserved.
The tract is within the Cedar Creek Battlefield, which has been identified by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission as a nationally significant battlefield with a high preservation priority.
The property played a role in the final phase of the Battle of Cedar Creek on Oct. 19, 1864. It was located near the northern end of Confederate Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur’s line and near the gap between Ramseur’s and Maj. Gen. John Pegram’s commands.
During the afternoon Union counterattack, Brig. Gen. George W. Getty’s division advanced through the area. The breakthrough contributed to the collapse of the Confederate line and the retreat of the Army of the Valley.
The property also contains the remains of a 19th-century mill site known as Millbrook Mill. A 2011 archaeological reconnaissance identified substantial stone foundation remains dating to approximately 1850 to 1874.
The mill site has not undergone a formal archaeological evaluation, making preservation of the property important for possible future study.
The newly protected land is adjacent to the Miller House property and 5 acres preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, as well as more than 23 acres previously preserved by Middletown under a foundation easement.
With the latest acquisition, the town says it now protects more than 42 acres of historic land within its boundaries. More than 2,000 additional acres have been preserved by battlefield partners outside the town.
Tump and Plaskota said the nation’s 250th anniversary helped reinforce their decision to make the property available for preservation.
“We wanted to do our part to make this possible,” they said, adding that they wanted the property to remain “protected, peaceful, and cherished for generations to come.”
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation CEO Kevin Walker praised Middletown’s approach to balancing preservation and growth.
“Preservation is more about the future than the past,” Walker said. He said Middletown has demonstrated that historic preservation and economic growth can be pursued together.
Mayor Charles Harbaugh IV said the purchase reflects community support for preservation. According to the town, 60% of respondents to its most recent comprehensive plan survey identified historic preservation as Middletown’s top priority.
“This purchase reflects that shared commitment,” Harbaugh said. “We are deeply grateful to the landowners for their generosity and proud to continue protecting the landscapes that define our identity and tell the story of the Battle of Cedar Creek.”
Information from a release. Edited by Dan McDermott.
