Chitwood Farm: Update on Battlefield Property
A summary statement from FORB President Ken Padgett:
To avoid any rumors concerning the old historic Chitwood Farm and the location of the annual Battle of Resaca Reenactment location here are the facts.
In 2009 pending possible foreclosure of the 488 acre site the bank sold the property to the Trust for Public Land in 2010.
The Trust of Public Land’s mission is to buy historic and natural endangered properties to protect them from future development and establish a Conservation Easement to protect the land for perpetuity. Once this is in place the Trust of Public Land sells the protected property to which the Conservation Easement remains in place regardless of the future ownership of the property.
In 2010 Gordon County purchased the Conservation Easement making them the chief agency governing the very restrictive use of the land in perpetuity. As part of the agreement the annual reenactment is also protected within the document. The Gordon County Historic Preservation Commission serves as the over-site committee. The Friends of Resaca Battlefield, Inc. serves in an advisory capacity.
In November of 2019 Trust for Public Land placed the entire site up for auction. The result was that the property was purchased back by a member of the family who originally owned it.
The Battle of Resaca Reenactment, Inc, and the Georgia Division Reenactors Association, Inc. both contributed funds for this purchase in support of the "best use" for this historic property.
No money from the Friends of Resaca Battlefield was contributed due to possible violation of our by-laws and to our primary commitment to the established battlefield parks. The Friends of Resaca Battlefield is not affliliated with the reenactment, though we do support such use of the property to promote awareness of its historic significance.
This is great news for historic preservation and the future of the reenactment.