By John Crane
Published: February 15, 2010
The 3,700-acre Berry Hill Road industrial mega park site in southwestern Pittsylvania County is dotted with about 70 old, crumbling structures — most of which city and county officials will have destroyed.
But some of the buildings, which include old log barns, houses and outbuildings, could hold historic value, said Sonja Ingram, field representative for Preservation Virginia.
“It is important not only to document these structures but also keep them intact so we may continue to learn from them and so that they remain tangible reminders of our history,” Ingram said.
Browning & Associates in Richmond is conducting an archaeological survey of the park. The survey’s first phase should be complete in about a month, said Shawn Harden, project manager for Dewberry, which is drawing up a master plan for the park.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper said most of the buildings will be burned down to provide training for the area’s volunteer fire departments.
If a structure is found to be historically significant, officials will receive recommendations from Browning & Associates whether to relocate it, said Otis Hawker, assistant county administrator.
Some of the dilapidated buildings are log structures, which are “quickly going by the wayside in Virginia,” Ingram said. In addition, the wood in the log buildings shows varying designs in its notching — such as “V,” square and saddle notching. Each type can signify an ethnic group, including English, Scots-Irish, German, Swiss, and Free African-American, Ingram said.
Also, it is common for African American or slave structures to have root cellars that can hold archaeological information about the lives of slaves, Ingram said.
“If these houses are slave-related and are demolished, chances are the root cellars will also be destroyed,” Ingram said.
Ingram said she plans to show the photos at the March meeting of the Pittsylvania County Historical Society.
Read more:
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/preservation_virginia_wants_to_save_berry_hill_buildings/18004/
