Civil War Legacy Project – Fairfax County

The good folks at Visit Fairfax have passed along the following info regarding the Civil War Legacy Project:

Civil War 150 Legacy Project Comes to Fairfax County
Statewide Initiative Strives to Digitize Civil War Era Documents Still in Private Hands
During Fairfax Appointments on June 24th & 25th

Fairfax County, VA – June 13, 2011 – Attention all Civil War-era document holders! If you or your family has manuscript materials created between 1859-1867 that reflect social, political, military, business and religious life in Virginia during the Civil War and early Reconstruction, the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission (aka, “the Commission”) needs your help.

The two have partnered for the Civil War 150 Legacy Project: Document Digitization and Access, which is holding its first event in Fairfax at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (10360 North Street, Fairfax) on June 24th and 25th.

The statewide Legacy Project is a multi-year initiative in search of documents still held by private owners with the goal of creating an online collection of rare Civil War documents and materials to share with the world. Citizens are encouraged to bring original, family heirloom documents and materials to events around the state for scanning and inclusion in the Project’s collection.

Civil War 150 Legacy Project staff members will be on site at the City of Fairfax Regional Library from 10 AM through 6 PM on Friday, and 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday to scan materials. Appointments are required, although a limited number of walk-ins will be accommodated, as the schedule allows. The duration of appointments depend on the type and quantity of materials, and can range from 5 to 45 minutes per item.

Scanned materials from the Project will be made available online via the Library of Virginia website (www.lva.virginia.gov), as well as the Commission’s website (www.virginiacivilwar.org).

Please contact Linda Gifford at 703-324-8324 or email her at Linda.Gifford@fairfaxcounty.gov to schedule an appointment.

This event is co-sponsored by the Fairfax County and City of Fairfax Sesquicentennial Committees. For more information on the Sesquicentennial commemoration events and special offerings in Fairfax County and Virginia, respectively, please visit www.fxva.com/150 or www.virginiacivilwar.org.

Media contact for Visit Fairfax Civil War related questions or inquiries:

Patrick Lennon, Destination Marketing Manager, Visit Fairfax
Ph: (703) 752-9504; plennon@fxva.com

Melissa Gold, White+Partners PR for Visit Fairfax
Ph: (703) 599-1643; melissag@whiteandpartnerspr.com