Document Bowman-Hite with a Cultural Landscape Report

The National Park Service has commissioned the Preservation Research Collaborative at
Penn to prepare a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for the Bowman-Hite Farm, located
within Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park. A CLR is a planning tool that
documents the history and existing conditions of a landscape and helps identify what is
significant about it. This project will help guide how the landscape is understood,
preserved, and managed in the future.

This multi-year process will be more inclusive, accurate, and valuable with community
participation. The public is invited to a listening session on May 5 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at
the Middletown Town Office at 7875 Church St, Middletown, VA 22645.

The Bowman-Hite Farm is a large and complex landscape shaped by many histories,
including Indigenous land use, agriculture, the experiences of enslaved people, and Civil
War events. Today, it includes a mix of open land, waterways, historic features, working
farms, and homes. The landscape that is our focus for this project comprises areas under
different ownership and management.

Public input is an important part of this process. People experience and value this
landscape in different ways, and those perspectives can help inform future decisions. By
sharing your knowledge, experiences, and/or concerns, you can help ensure that the
landscape reflects a wide range of stories and remains meaningful to both the history of
this area and the present-day communities that exist here.

We invite stakeholders to attend the event in person on May 5, or share input virtually. Public comment will be accepted from April 17, 2026 through May 19, 2026.

Public Input Questions
1. How would you describe your connection to, or familiarity with, the Bowman-Hite
Farm and surrounding landscape?
2. What elements or features of the landscape do you notice most when you are on-
site, passing by, or thinking about this place?
a. What factors, if any, influence your experience of the landscape (for example,
physical features, access, or surrounding conditions)?
3. Are there particular areas of the site that are meaningful to you? If so, in what way?
4. How do you think different historical periods or historical uses of the site are
currently represented?
a. Are there any histories that you associate with the landscape, but think are
under-represented at present?
5. From your perspective, how is the landscape currently used or managed?
6. Are there any changes to the landscape that you have noticed over time?
7. Is there anything else you would like to share about this landscape or its future?

Contact Information

Jonathan Tracey
540-333-9564