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Historical Virginia spaces urge protection amid potential addition of Data Centers

This comes in light of the development proposals for data centers near the area where the battlefields are located.

MANASSAS, Va. — Editor's Note: The video above was published on April 5, 2022

The Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Brandy Station Battlefield were part of a list released by Preservation Virginia that says the two historic battlefields are endangered.

This comes in light of the development proposals for data centers near the area where the battlefields are located. 

“These communities can have both, but it all depends on the careful consideration of location. With its highly regarded report, Preservation Virginia has empowered this important message and turned attention to an issue that is far from over in the Commonwealth and throughout the country," said American Battlefield Trust President, David Duncan.

The American Battlefield Trust says in their release that data centers can be seen as an industry that can have a low impact. The organization suggested that data centers "use an immense amount of power, create swathers or non-permeable surfaces, and have significant noise and viewshed impacts, therefore placing a blemish on otherwise pristine and cherished swathes of land."

Furthermore, the organization goes on to state that Prince William County was urged in the summer of 2021 to "reconsider the current footprint of the county's data center district." However, if the data center district expands, the organization explains that they infer that industrial development will be welcomed in an area nearby both the Manassas National Battlefield and the Prince William Forest Park.

“Inclusion on Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places list can have a profound influence in bringing organizations and individuals together to forward solutions and resolve threats. This year’s list is no exception,” said Elizabeth S. Kostelny, CEO of Preservation Virginia. 

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