Warner, Kaine, Colleagues Lead Bipartisan Effort To Expand Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields Historic District

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senators Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito (both R-WV) in introducing the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Boundary Expansion and Partnership Act of 2026, landmark bipartisan legislation that would add Rockbridge County, Virginia, and three counties in West Virginia to the district.

The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, which consists of eight counties in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, was created by Congress in 1996. It recognizes the region's nationally significant Civil War battlefields and associated historic sites.

"The Shenandoah Valley helped shape our nation's history, and preserving these battlefields will ensure that future generations can better understand the sacrifices and defining moments that took place there during the Civil War," said Warner. "By expanding the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District to include additional sites in Virginia and West Virginia, this bipartisan legislation will boost local tourism and protect our historical landscapes."

"The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District is one of Virginia's great historical treasures, preserving the Valley's Civil War battlefields so that Americans from across the country can visit them and reflect on our country's history," said Kaine. "I'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation to expand the district into Rockbridge County and strengthen the partnerships that protect these valued sites for years to come."

Over the past three decades, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation has preserved over 8,000 acres of land while supporting the development of visitor centers, museums, educational programs, and interpretative resources that make the Valley's rich Civil War history accessible to all Americans.

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