Dedication of the memorial chimney
at Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park
on Saturday, November 5, 2016 at 1:00 pm
Where:
The entrance to Byrom Park is on Route 810 in Blackwells Hollow.
Follow Garth Road to the Piedmont Store in Whitehall, go around the curve to the right onto Rt. 810 (do not go straight up to Sugar Hollow), Follow Rt. 810 for 7.8 miles and entrance is on the left. Approximately 45 minutes from Charlottesville.
More details about the Chimney project:
http://www.crozetgazette.com/2016/10/brhp-memorial-dedication-planned-for-november-5/
http://www.crozetgazette.com/2016/09/this-memorial-will-be-set-in-stone/
Background:
Albemarle Blue Ridge Heritage is a grassroots effort to create a monument, in the form of a stone chimney with memorial plaque, to honor families displaced from land now in the Shenandoah National Park. Additionally, the Albemarle project intends to construct a shelter that will including information panels and can be used for mission-related cultural and educational events.
The project will utilize living history and cultural exhibits, displays, presentations, and demonstrations to promote historical and cultural tourism, to engage the local community, and to educate future generations and visitors to the area about the people who lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains before the creation of Shenandoah National Park and who gave up so much to make the Park possible.
Phase 1 is complete: a stand-alone (non-working) chimney with memorial plaque to acknowledge and honor the sacrifices of families displaced from their homes and land for the creation of Shenandoah National Park. In Phase II we intend to construct a post and beam structure to shelter informational and educational panels regarding the displacement and the community that existed in these mountains prior to the displacement.
In addition, the shelter can promote recreation, tourism to the area and educate our school-aged children through heritage events and demonstrations of mountain culture. The structure will be built to the approximate dimensions of a modest size house in the Albemarle section of the Park survey area during the 1930’s, just prior to creation of the Park.
Additional online resources that may be of assistance to you include:
Webpage: http://www.blueridgeheritageproject.com/albemarle/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlbemarleBRHP/
Please let me know if you have additional questions or I can provide additional information to assist in your process. For information contact:
Paul Cantrell
Albemarle Blue Ridge Heritage Project
Steering Committee
AlbemarleBlueRidgeHeritage@gmail.com