I) Lewis
II) Clark
III) Genealogy
>Preservation
Legislation
National Historic Landmark ProgramNational Historic Preservation Act
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Legislation in Albemarle County
Legislation in Charlottesville
Owning an Historic Home
For Family HeritageFor Historical Interest
Letting the Public In
Museum at Buena VistaLewis and Clark Exploratory Center
Preservation
"These places are more than just a place, more than just a structure"
~Tom Ross, National Park Service
Tom Ross was one of many speakers who spoke at Monticello in January 2002. His declaration was a recurrent theme in all of the legislation over the past fifty years, whether national or local, to protect and commemorate historic structures and areas. The owners of homes and lands associated with Lewis and Clark also agree that these homes are indeed more than just a place to live, these buildings and tracts of land are apart of Virginia's and the country's history.
The preservation and stewardship of these sites in Albemarle County have gained more attention in the last fifty years. In the 1970s, the owners of Buena Vista opened a museum to Clark's brother, George Rogers Clark, to celebrate his and his brother's achievements. In the last few years, citizens of Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville worked to create a new center celebrating Lewis and Clark centering on the Clark homestead. This project involves fundraising as well as other smaller projects. Both the earlier museum and the planning for the construction of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center educate the public about the importance of Lewis and Clark in the nation's history, which transforms these places into something more than just a building or piece of property.