Walmart retreats

History preservationists won a battle against Walmart last month, putting a halt to a proposed supercenter on land allegedly a part of a pivotal Civil War battlefield. The land is adjacent to the Wilderness Battlefield, where Generals Lee and Grant first faced off in 1864.

Local officials approved the store in 2009 but opponents sued to stop the project, which drew national criticism. The proposed site has been zoned for commercial use for 30 years.

After two days of hearings that began on Jan. 25, Walmart withdrew its application. In a prepared statement, the company said, "We have decided to preserve the property...We will still buy the land, but not develop it."

The retailing giant will pursue other property in Orange County. Fredericksburg already has three other Walmart outlets.

At the hearings, James McPherson, Pulitzer-prize winning historian, on behalf of the plaintiff, dubbed the site a "nerve center" of the Union Army.

Guy Gane III, veteran Civil War re-enactor and vocal preservationist, said he was "devastated" upon hearing of Walmart's efforts. "If they don't preserve this [land] now, future generations are going to lose out on the opportunity to go to these places." To advocates of progress, he said, "Would you call 'progress' putting a Walmart on Normandy?"

In a press release, James Lighthizer, president of the nonprofit organization Civil War Trust, said he was ready to work with Walmart to project the battlefield: "We firmly believe that preservation and progress need not be mutually exclusive, and welcome Walmart as a thoughtful partner in efforts to protect the Wilderness Battlefield."

However, Dr. Robert Spinney, history professor at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, objects to framing the controversy as progress vs. preservation: "That's what preservationists will always say. It's responsible preservation versus irresponsible preservation--that's the real issue."

"It is 2011," he continued. "Most historic sites of real importance have already been purchased and protected from development."

Spinney added, "Should we build a Stuff-Mart at Mount Vernon? No. Should we raze Monticello to make way for another McDonald's? No. But is every parcel of land adjoining a battlefield a historical site that must be preserved? No."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.