Bygone days: Battlefield threatened.
Parts of the historic site located on South Mountain, where the Battle of Monterey took place the day after the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, could be threatened by a Washington Township Municipal Authority land sale.
Preservation Pennsylvania is concerned the threat of development may increase as the economy improves. They fear this would alter the landscape and remove the last remnants of the road destroying an important part of the battlefield.
The hope is an entity would acquire the land for long-term preservation as public green space, complete with walking trails.
Preservation Pennsylvania also suggested using the acreage as a nature preserve to protect the environment and to provide educational opportunities for area schools.
The organization reported how the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield are currently raising funds to purchase the property so it can be preserved. A management plan, conceptual development plan and battlefield preservation plan have already been prepared for a would-be buyer.
For more information, contact Preservation Pennsylvania, 257 North St., Harrisburg, PA 17101. Its phone number is 234-2310. Readers can also email the organization at info@preservationpa.org or visit its website at www.preservationpa.org.
Key areas of the site are open to visitors, go here for more information.
