The permanent protection of 39 acres in eastern Henrico known as Kingsland Bend marked the fifth conservation easement to Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) by Randy and Meade Welch. The protection of Kingsland Bend builds on earlier efforts by the partners, including 353-acres approximately one mile to the east that the Welchs conserved and then donated the land to CRLC, which is now the Varina LandLab Conservation Area.
The easement protects the historic battlefield landscape and scenic views from Kingsland Road while preventing further residential development in an area witnessing accelerated growth. The property is designated in the ConserveVirginia model for Cultural and Historic Preservation due to its association with core battlefields from the First Battle of Deep Bottom (July 20 – 27, 1864) and Second Battle of Deep Bottom (August 13 – 20, 1864) and study area of the Battle of New Market Heights.
The Kingsland Bend property exemplifies the Varina District’s agricultural and rural character. Its 27 acres of prime farmland and soils of statewide importance have the highest agricultural value as determined by the Virginia Heritage Data Explorer (NHDE), which also notes the entire property is most vulnerable to the threat of development.
