Hallowed ground that absorbed the blood of colonials fighting for independence and nearly a century later of Union and Confederate soldiers engaged in a civil war are among the top 11 "Most Endangered Historic Places" in the United States identified by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Two studies – one spotlighting segregation at national parks in Virginia from 1916-1965 and the other showcasing where African Americans recreated from the late 19th through the early 21st century—are setting the stage for new national historic landmark designations, listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and opportunities for national parks to be more candid about their past.

Once billed as the most desirable property for industrial development in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the site that historians argue determined the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg is saved forever following a 16-year, $12-million fundraising campaign to ensure its protection. To seal the deal on the largest and most complex private battlefield preservation effort in the nation’s history, the American Battlefield Trust enlisted the participation of a preservation-friendly developer, a flexible financial lender and forward-thinking government officials, as well as tens of thousands of individual donors.