Our Gift to the Nation
Through the Campaign, the Trust established the Battlefield Readiness Fund, which allows us to effectively thwart efforts by developers and save endangered historic land. Over the past four years, the fund has allowed the Trust to move quickly and proactively save 3,273 acres of hallowed ground at the Top Priority battlefields made up of 85 parcels at 31 battlefields. Land prices continued to rise throughout the campaign, and development pressures remain high, so the Battlefield Readiness Fund will continue to be an effective preservation tool as we continue to save crucial battlefield acres.
The Battlefield Readiness Fund changed everything about how we do preservation. Before this campaign, when threatened land came on the market, we often had to scramble — write appeals, wait on funding, hope the property didn't sell out from under us. Your investment in this fund gave us something we'd never had before: the power to act the same day.”
Chief Land Preservation Officer
American Battlefield Trust
40 Top Priority Battlefields
Thanks to your support, we are preserving, restoring, and interpreting these 40 iconic battlefields, creating an enduring legacy that will educate and inspire generations to come.
Top 40 Priority Battlefields map
View Battlefield List
Every acre we save preserves our national story for future generations. But mounting threats mean we need to be prepared to act before it’s too late. The Battlefield Readiness Fund continues to provide the flexibility and resources necessary to meet that challenge head-on. Because of this Fund, we are able to:
- Be proactive in cultivating prospective sellers and making compelling offers before land is listed for sale.
- Act much more swiftly to preempt other offers and compete against developers.
- Place stronger, more competitive offers with cash as opposed to financing.
- Stretch our dollars further by avoiding unnecessary and expensive debt.
- Advance a broad range of strategic initiatives at the same time.
The Battlefield Readiness Fund upholds our rigorous standards, focusing only on the most significant sites while making us more competitive and successful in battlefield preservation. New development pressures threaten these sacred spaces every day. Without immediate action, critical acres at these irreplaceable landscapes will be lost forever.
Battlefield Readiness Fund Helps Protect 20 Historic Acres
Thanks to the Battlefield Readiness Fund, the Trust seized a rare opportunity in 2023 to save a 20-acre parcel at Antietam — land that witnessed some of the battle's fiercest fighting. As part of the historic Jacob Avey Farm, this ground saw Confederate General A.P. Hill's final attack and became a refuge for wounded Union soldiers who were cared for by the Avey family in the aftermath. According to the recently discovered Elliott Burial Map, this property is also a Confederate burial site.
For years, these hallowed acres remained out of reach and in jeopardy. When the chance to purchase them arrived, the $690,000 price tag and lack of government matching funds made it a daunting challenge. Available dollars from the Battlefield Readiness Fund were essential, providing matching funds for donors to this project that got us over the finish line to secure this sacred ground.
This is exactly why the Battlefield Readiness Fund exists—to ensure we can say "yes" when history is on the line. With your support, it will continue to drive preservation, protecting honored ground before it's lost forever.
The property is connected to Antietam National Battlefield.
Restoration: See the Land as They Saw It
Saving battlefield land is only the beginning. To fully honor the sacrifices made on these sites, we have restored many sites to their historic wartime appearance, allowing visitors to see the landscapes as soldiers once did and to walk the same landscapes. This means removing modern intrusions, rehabilitating terrain, and creating immersive, educational experiences for generations to come.
Restoring battlefields enhances the effectiveness of their interpretation, making history more vivid and meaningful, and our restoration work will continue as we preserve more battlefield land.
Restoring Crucial Hallowed Ground at Lookout Mountain
With the Battlefield Readiness Fund in place, we're ready to take action — like removing a long-standing eyesore at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
For decades, a dilapidated 1940s-era motel sat on nearly an acre of hallowed ground beside Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, obscuring a key site of the Battle of Lookout Mountain. After acquiring the property in 2022, the American Battlefield Trust demolished the structure, cleared the land, and restored the field, bringing it closer to its historic appearance.
Thanks to this successful project, future generations can experience and learn from this pivotal site as it once stood.
To everyone who has supported this campaign — to every donor who has written a check, included us in their estate plans, showed up at an event, brought a friend, or simply believed in what we're doing — thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. You are the reason these fields are still here. You are the reason students are learning on this ground. This is your accomplishment. We are honored to have been a part of it.”
President Emeritus, American Battlefield Trust
Our Enduring Legacy Campaign Chairman