Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Supporting Journey Through Hallowed Ground and JTHG National Heritage Area

All Towns and Counties Along Corridor Show Support for Journey Partnership and NHA Legislation

For Immediate Release  
January 7, 2008
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Waterford, Virginia—The Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) Partnership reports that the new county Board of Supervisors in Loudoun County, Virginia, passed a resolution to become a partner of the JTHG Partnership.  Specifically, the resolution supports the proposed Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area legislation currently under consideration in the United States Congress, as well as other JTHG partnership programs including educational outreach and heritage tourism initiatives.

On January 3, 2008, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, led by Chairman Scott K. York, became the final county along the Journey Through Hallowed Ground corridor to support the Partnership’s efforts in public session. This resolution endorses a federal plan to designate The Journey Through Hallowed Ground a National Heritage Area, which functions as a federal “seal of approval” acknowledging the depth of historic assets in the corridor and its importance to American cultural heritage. Loudoun County alone has 23 locations along the Journey that have been distinguished on the National Register of Historic Places. Prime examples of the rich history found in this region include landmarks such as Oatlands, Ball’s Bluff Battlefield and Dodona Manor.

“I am very pleased that the Board of Supervisors has overwhelmingly endorsed a Resolution of Support for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground and completed the unbroken chain of support for the length of this Partnership,” said Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Scott K. York. “The vision of the Partnership is enhanced by unanimity and our solid support puts the final segment in place. Loudoun looks forward to working with the other Partners to showcase this very special American Heritage Area.”

According the Partnership officials, The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, if approved, will become the nation’s 38th National Heritage Area and one of the nation’s most historically extensive.  In addition, NHA status would help boost the local economy by promoting tourism and raising awareness of the region’s cultural, recreational and historic attractions.

“Passage of this resolution by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is a landmark for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, president of the JTHG Partnership. “The Journey now has the support of each town and county within the region, forging a broader partnership that will promote the unparalleled heritage and economic opportunities that the Journey has to offer Americans near and far.”