OUR VIEW: Good work to showcase Culpeper’s rich heritage

» We applaud the efforts of those who are bringing more visibility to South East Street, Cedar Mountain battlefield and Civil War history.

When it comes to finely manicured historic homes, South East Street stands as an iconic testament to the time-honored legacy of downtown Culpeper.

That’s why we’re glad to see the street’s recent inclusion on the Virginia Landmarks Register. And, as you’ll find out in Sunday’s Star-Exponent, South East Street is in the process of being named to the National Register of Historic Places.

It’s a well-deserved dream come true for Rose Marie Martin and other residents of the street who initiated the nomination process 19 years ago. It’s also the culmination of a major undertaking by Charlottesville’s Genevieve Keller, whose 53-page documentation of the street’s history helped earn the historic recognition.

In addition to Culpeper National Cemetery, the new South East Street Historic District will include the land between Stevens and Page streets and one block west onto East Asher and East Chandler streets. It’s certainly a fitting designation.

* * *

Six miles south of town, another historic area quietly dots the county’s picturesque landscape. Until recently, the Cedar Mountain Battlefield was off the radar for the average motorist.

Now, however, new brown signs point potential tourists in the right direction at key spots along U.S. 29 and approaching the battlefield on U.S. 15. The signs, an effort by the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield, are positioned next to the red, white and blue Civil War Trails markers strategically located throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Cedar Mountain remains one of the war’s best preserved battlefields, and we hope the new signs will help Culpeper share this historic treasure with those who might otherwise just keep driving.

* * *

Keeping with the War Between the States, kudos to Sycamore Park Elementary School for sponsoring a student-led Civil War wax museum earlier this month. What a great way to make history come alive!