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County gears up for 150th anniversary of Civil War
“Sesquicentennial” is a tough word to say but the concept is easy. Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. More significantly, it marks the start of a period when big tourism money will be flowing in to the county.While events will begin this year and will continue for the next few years, the big to-do is next summer, when 14,000 re-enactors and 50,000 visitors are expected to descend on the county in July to re-create the Battle of First Manassas.
“It's the first battle of the Civil War,” said Brendan Hanafin, the county's director of historic preservation. “Fort Sumter was fired on but there's not much to see there; or not much to re-enact there.”
That's where Prince William has a big advantage. Many Civil War battlefields, such as Manassas National Battlefield Park and Fort Sumter, are now owned by the National Park Service, which keeps a very tight reign over what types of re-enactments are allowed. While living history exhibits may feature drills or even artillery demonstrations, actual re-creations of battles aren't allowed.
What re-enactors and history buffs want is to relive the battle as close as possible to the actual site, which is tough if the National Park Service owns all the land. So a locality could score a big tourism coup if it could find a big piece of land close to the actual battle site to hold a battle re-enactment of its own.
And that's what Prince William has done.
Pageland Farm is a 200-acre farm located next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. As luck would have it, the farm is owned by Page Snyder, daughter of “Stonewall” Annie Snyder, credited with winning the so-called Third Battle of Manassas in 1988 by saving the battlefield area from developers. Annie Snyder died in 2002 but her daughter has agreed to let the county use the farm for the re-enactment, said Ann Marie Maher, director of the Prince William County - Greater Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Her only request is that we honor her mother, Annie Snyder, as part of this,” Maher said. “Her piece of this is giving back to the community in honor of her mom.”
That means the Snyder family will allow 14,000 Civil War soldiers and their horses to re-fight the first major battle of the Civil War on their land for next to nothing. Hanafin said the county will only pay about $15,000 to cover the farm's crop loss and damage.
“The Snyders aren't asking for any compensation for the land but we do want to make sure we put it back better than we found it,” he said.
In addition to the property costs, the county will also pay about $330,000 for event management, supplies (ice, water, hay for horses, porta-johns, etc.), land preparation, transportation and insurance. Additional funds will be needed to pay for extra police and fire support.
In addition, more than $318,000 will be spent on marketing by the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
But all of that money should come back with reinforcements, said Hanafin.
The re-enactors will each pay $20 upfront for a total of at least $240,000, Hanafin said, adding that his revenue estimates are more conservative than what he actually expects.
Spectators will pay $20 per adult and $15 per child for another $540,000 and fees from concessions, program sponsors and sutlers (Civil War-era vendors and merchants) will add on another $81,000 or so. All told, the county should make at least $861,000 on the venture before paying its bills.
That's in addition to the added money that will come pouring in at area hotels, restaurants, stores and other attractions.
Hanafin said the county will be working on a major tourism push to ensure that once spectators arrive for the weekend, they'll also spend time shopping, visiting SplashDown Waterpark or the Ben Lomond Historic Site, Old Town Manassas and other local attractions.
Of course the influx of more than 60,000 people to an already-congested road system could cause some headaches. Activities on Friday will be reserved for re-enactors only and will be closed to the public but 25,000 people each day will come to watch on Saturday and Sunday.
Hanafin said the events will be held in the morning, both to keep from impacting afternoon traffic, and also to dodge afternoon heat and thunderstorms.
And while organizers are working to avoid causing problems for commuters and public safety workers, it is possible that the event could get bigger than expected.
For one thing, it's being promoted by the American Bus Association as the single biggest event of 2011.
County Executive Melissa Peacor added that a big part of the draw is the Pageland Farm site.
“To be able to do this so close to the actual battlefield is huge for the re-enactors,” she said.
The First Manassas re-enactment is slated for July 22-24, 2011, and while it's the biggest of the county's planned sesquicentennial events, it's not the only one.
Later in 2011, re-enactors will mark the blockade of the Potomac River, followed by the anniversary of the Battle of Second Manassas in 2012. In 2013, the county will mark the battles of Bristoe Station and Buckland Mills.
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