Andrea, Thanks for telling us about this. And yes, I do consider it a genealogy subject. It's the heritage of the Ashby's of VA. I was under the impression that, a residence that has been placed on the National Register had a certain amount of acreage around it that could not be tampered with, also. Am I wrong? If so, and if this tower is going to interfere with the historical ambience of the home, I would think that the law could be called into effect for this. Maybe some out there with some expertise could tell us. Sue Brigde1405@aol.com wrote: > > Dear Friends on the Ashby List, > > This posting has little to do with our shared fascination with Ashby > genealogy, but it deals with a major challenge to the Family, so I thought > that this would be an appropriate forum to inform as many Ashbys as possible > about it, and to ask your help. > As you may know, the birthplace and longtime home of Brigadier General > Turner Ashby, CSA, is a beautiful old house located in Markham, Virginia. > Rosebank was a place the general loved very much--in fact, when his family > lost Rosebank, in 1853, he moved to a nearby house and cut a new window in > its wall so that he could still look out and see his boyhood home. > But today Rosebank is endangered. The owner has contracted with a company > that builds cell-phone telecommunications towers, and together they are > trying to obtain zoning-board permission to build a 180 foot tall telecom > tower on five of Rosebank's eleven acres. The tower, which resembles a Soviet > missile silo, is not just a monopole, which would be horrible enough. > Instead, it is to have far larger footprint, perhaps sixty-five feet in > diameter, perhaps more. This monster will absolutely dwarf charming little > Rosebank. > This is, you will agree, a disaster for history and for the heritage of > Virginia. Without getting into a political discussion about development in > rural areas, I cannot believe that there aren't other sites where this tower > could be placed. Surely there is no need to build it on an historic site of > great beauty and meaning. > Turner Ashby is one of the most famous and well-loved members of this > great family. He was a perfect model of gentleness, chivalry, and integrity, > a cavalier of truly sterling courage. He gave his life for Virginia, and his > memory deserves honor, not this disgrace. > In addition to the atrocity at Rosebank, the same tower construction > company, SBA Inc., proposes to build another tower quite near the former > Ashby lands in Delaplane, Virginia. This will be within a stone's throw of > Yew Hill, the famous home of Robert Ashby, where George Washington really > slept on several occasions. > If you are moved to outrage by the staggering avarice of people who > would desecrate historic sites in this way, you may convey your feelings to > those who have some influence over the choice of sites. You may address: > > Fauquier County Department of Community Development > Planning Commission > 40 Culpeper Street > Warrenton, Virginia 20186 > > I do not believe that phone calls to the Planning Commission would be > useful, but the fax number is 540.341.3444. > Those of us who live close to Warrenton are fighting this battle in > person, by attending meetings of the Board of Supervisors and Planning > Commission, and speaking out in public. But we could use the help of Ashbys > all over the US who claim Virginia as the home of our hearts and claim Turner > Ashby as our kin, however distant. Thank you in advance. > > --Andrea Kent > > ==== ASHBY Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the ASHBY list, use > ASHBY-L-request@rootsweb.com. Use ASHBY-L@rootsweb.com to write to the > ASHBY list. Use D instead of L for the ASHBY digest subscribe or unsubscribe.