FALLING WATERS, W.Va. (July 2, 2024) – A public-private partnership to establish Berkeley County’s first battlefield park was jointly announced today by members of the Berkeley County Commission, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Board.
“We couldn’t be more excited to make this announcement on the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Hoke’s Run, the first Civil War battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley,” said Foundation CEO Keven Walker.
“Berkeley County is the northern gateway to the Shenandoah Valley, and this collaborative partnership to preserve acreage where the Battle of Hoke’s Run was fought will highlight for future generations the importance of Berkeley County in the American Civil War.”
The planned preservation of the 10 acres of battlefield area is made possible by an agreement that was reached between the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Berkeley County Commission, and the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Board in June 2024.
“I especially want to thank the Berkeley County Board of Education, the previous owner of the property, for agreeing to transfer ownership of the site to the County to allow us move forward with this initiative,” Berkeley County Commission President Jim Whitacre said. “As a battlefield park, this passive recreation site will certainly be an educational resource for our community going forward.”
Located off WV 901, Hoke’s Run Battlefield Park will be preserved, interpreted, and maintained for public recreational use - in perpetuity - through an agreement between the Battlefields Foundation and the Parks & Recreation Board. Plans for the future battlefield park include a recreation trail, interpretive signage, pavilion and bathrooms.
“Through our partnership with the Battlefields Foundation, we are looking forward to welcoming area residents and visitors alike to enjoy this special park and learn some of the rich history of the Falling Waters area,” said Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Board Executive Director Joe Burton.
“Preservation and interpretation of Civil War sites in the Falling Waters area has been the mission of our organization since 2004, and we couldn’t be more thrilled by the collaboration of our community leaders and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation to bring about the protection of this site,” said Falling Waters Battlefield Association, Inc., President Gary Gimbel.
Fought on July 2, 1861, the Battle of Hoke’s Run involved a large Union force under the command of General Robert Patterson, who crossed the Potomac River and engaged with a smaller Confederate force led by Colonel Thomas (later General “Stonewall”) Jackson. The conflict, which is also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Battle of Hainesville, involved infantry, cavalry, and artillery, with the Southern troops withdrawing.
“Although a small battle by later standards, the intensity of the conflict led Patterson to overestimate the size of the Confederate force and therefore become less aggressive,” Gimbel said.
“The outcome allowed the Southern forces in the Shenandoah Valley to slip away and help the Confederates win a decisive victory at the Battle of Manassas. Hoke’s Run was a small battle with big consequences.”