Balancing the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, with critical Army mission requirements.
Fort Walker maintains a proactive program for the research, documentation and preservation of cultural resources ranging from 19th century home sites to evidence of activity dating back to 8,000 B.C.
Travis Lake Historic District and Liberty Church
Liberty Church is associated with one of the oldest Baptist congregations in Caroline County, organized in 1796. The building, constructed in 1850, is a well preserved example of the churches built in the county during the Antebellum period. Because of the historical significance associated with this church it is considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Travis Lake Historic District occupies approximately 150 acres of the northern part of Fort Walker in Caroline County, Virginia, approximately six miles north of the town of Bowling Green. The district lies in the midst of gently rolling, forested topography at the headwaters of Goldenvale Creek, a tributary of the Rappahannock River. The dominant feature of the district is Travis Lake, the upper part of which covers thirty acres (the lower half of the lake, located below a former mill dam, is largely excluded from the district). The shores of the lake are forested with beeches, oaks, and pines and an understory of mountain laurel and dogwood, and the lake surface supports water lilies and other aquatic plants.
Travis Lake Road (which follows the course of an antebellum road) hugs the shore on its east and north sides, connecting to a gravel road that follows the other shores of the lake. Occupying a knoll at the northeast end of the lake is a large log residence constructed in 1938-39 and known as the Lodge. Below the Lodge is the former mill dam, which forms part of the bed of Travis Lake Road. At the north end of the dam stands a complex of secondary dwellings and farm buildings. Liberty Baptist Church, an antebellum brick building also eligible for National Register listing, stands about a half mile to the west of the district.
Wealthy In Heart
Many people see history in a large big-picture sense: It’s only significant if the world or the country has undergone change. To an anthropologist–one who studies people and their culture–significance lies not necessarily in the big-picture, but in understanding the everyday lives of people. This oral history is especially significant because it focuses on a lost world. The way of life in Caroline County in 1930 is truly known to only a few, and we are all fortunate to be enriched by their contribution. This book is dedicated to all the people who gave their time to open their hearts and share their memories and thoughts so this history could be told. Their thoughts and their memories will live on as historical record in… “WEALTHY IN HEART:” Oral History of Life Before Fort A. P. Hill
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Download “WEALTHY IN HEART:” Oral History of Life Before Fort A. P. Hill in PDF.
RESOURCES:
Travis Lake Historic District Nomination Form
Liberty Church Inventory form December 1930
Liberty Church Inventory Form January 1937
A Brief History of Liberty, Bethesda, Upper Zion and Zoar Baptist Churches