The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker has worked on battlefield preservation plans for over a dozen battlefields in seven different states.
He has lectured at conferences of the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), belongs to several “friends” battlefield groups, and has been a board member of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association for over a decade. Battlefield planning typically includes the following steps:
• Research Into The Battle’s History
• Analysis of Existing Conditions
• Prioritizing of Individual Parcels
• Land Preservation Strategies and Site Improvements
• Interpretation Strategies
Battlefield interpretation should not only educate, but also intrigue and entertain the audience – or “edu-tain” them. A variety of vehicles for interpretation exist, including brochures, wayside exhibits, driving tapes, digital communications, and interpretive centers with high-tech interactive exhibits. All should offer a hierarchy of information to appeal to a diverse heritage tourism market with varying levels of interest. In addition to preparing Tennessee’s state-wide plan to protect Civil War resources in 1999, Phil Walker prepared the Management Plan and the Environmental Assessment for the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area.
Battlefield Preservation Project Portfolio
Fort Madison, Iowa
FORT MADISON PRESERVATION, INTERPRETATION
and MANAGEMENT PLAN
Fort Madison was established in 1808 by the US military as a trading post on the Mississippi River. Following a series of conflicts and sieges, the troops evacuated and burned the fort in 1813. By the late-1800s, development occupied the fort and adjacent battlefield, but in 1983 a replica of the fort was constructed nearby. In 2014, the City secured a grant from the NPS’s American Battlefield Protection Program to prepare a plan to preserve, interpret and manage the historic fort and battlefield sites. TWC was hired for the plan, and recommendations included detailed steps for implementation, management and costs.
American Battlefield Trust • Nation-wide
BEST PRACTICES IN BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION
The American Battlefield Trust (ABT) is the country’s largest and most effective non-profit battlefield preservation entity, having preserved 38,000 acres so far. ABT secured a grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) to prepare a “best practices” manual for battlefield preservation to help better educate themselves and the numerous state-level and local “friends” groups across the country. ABT, in turn, hired The Walker Collaborative to lead a team of consultants to conduct the research and draft the manual.
Prince William County, Virginia
MANASSAS BATTLEFIELD VIEWSHEDS STUDY
The Manassas Battlefield, or “Bull Run,” is in fact two battlefields – the First Battle of Manassas (July 21, 1861) and the Second Battle of Manassas (August 28-29, 1862). While the actual battlefield included over 6,400 acres, the portion protected by the National Park Service (NPS) consists of only 5,072 acres. Because of tremendous growth trends within the area, the future threats are even greater. Consequently, The Walker Collaborative was hired by Prince William County to lead a team of consultants to prepare a viewsheds protection plan for the battlefield.
Thompson’s Station, Tennessee
THOMPSON’S STATION BATTLEFIELD PLAN
Located immediately north of the Town of Spring Hill and within the path of rapid growth, this battlefield is substantially unaltered from its 1860s appearance. The Walker Collaborative was hired by a non-profit entity committed to the battlefield’s preservation to develop a battlefield preservation plan for the area. Working with sub-consultant LandDesign, Inc., this plan is now in the implementation stage.
Franklin, Tennessee
FRANKLIN BATTLEFIELD and CARTER HOUSE PLANS
The Battle of Franklin occurred on November 30, 1864. Today most of the battlefield has been developed, and the remaining lands are greatly threatened by development pressures. The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired to prepare an NPS ABPP-funded plan to protect the remaining battlefield lands. The plan evaluated and prioritized parcels, proposed a range of preservation strategies, recommended physical enhancements, and addressed interpretation.
Additional Projects
Phil Walker has played a key role in the following projects through The Walker Collaboration (since 2002) and previous firms.