It is the mission of the Foundation to establish and support the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Park and Visitor Center
The Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Foundation's mission to establish and support the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Park and Museum/Visitor Center is a magnificent project that has touched the hearts and minds of many people, both here across the United States and in the United Kingdom. The planned replacement of the bridge spanning the Intracoastal Waterway in Chesapeake, Virginia by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid 1990’s, provided the final opportunity to reclaim and preserve an irreplaceable piece of American History. The patriot outcome of The Battle of Great Bridge, at this site on December 9, 1775, changed the course of the war in Virginia and influenced the founding of America.
In order to save and preserve the battlefield and promote the national importance of the battle and the Albemarle and Chesapeake and Dismal Swamp Canals, immediate action was needed. To this end, a group of prominent citizens formed The Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation and quickly created partnerships with the city of Chesapeake, state of Virginia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public and private organizations, and businesses and individuals to together create a museum/visitor center, public park, and trail facility. By 2013, over 6 million in cash and in-kind service donations, grant awards, and government support has been put to work. The historic park is open to the public and construction of the museum/visitor center is underway.
Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the historical significance of the Battle of Great Bridge, the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal and the Dismal Swamp Canal. The battle was a crucial victory over the British for a new nation. The Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal is interwoven with the battlefield site. The early histories of both canals are intricately tied to events involving the Revolutionary War and both have served as important commercial and recreational waterways. The primary objective of the Foundation is to establish an information center in which educational displays and artifacts, electronic media and trained staff will tell the story of the battle and the canals. The Foundation will also foster and promote the information center as a basis to form a regional history trail that will develop into a valuable educational and economic asset for the communities involved.
