Historic Preservation and Outdoor Access
Ware Bottom Church, built in 1723, was the site of a 1864 Civil War battle between Union Troops led by General Benjamin Butler and Confederate Troops led by General P.G.T. Beauregard.
Today, the battlefield is protected under a conservation easement held by Capital Region Land Conservancy. The 51 acres of conserved land will be added to Chesterfield County’s adjacent 10-acre Ware Bottom Church Battlefield Park.
Ware Bottom Church Battlefield Park will promote awareness of the county’s history and attract cultural heritage tourism. It will also increase open space land for public access and climate resiliency in a community within a 10-minute walk of the property.
Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation’s conceptual plan to expand the park includes visitor amenities on the property, such as information kiosks, unpaved trails, a picnic or educational shelter, parking, and paved shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians along Old Stage and Old Bermuda Hundred Roads. Development plans will avoid site degradation, limit impervious surfaces, and promote historic resource and water quality protection. An archeological study has been completed for the development areas to confirm no impacts and inventory artifacts for historical interpretation.
