GREENFIELD –An anonymous benefactor issued a challenge match for donations to Botetourt’s Historic Greenfield Preservation Area last week to a maximum cumulative match of $5,000.
The mysterious benefactor is matching donations dollar-for-dollar of $25 or more to Historic Greenfield. Donations must be postmarked during December 2020.
County officials said this provides quadruple leverage for individual donors, since contributions are matched 100 percent by the anonymous benefactor and then matched another 100 percent by Botetourt County. This is because the county has a 100 percent match program of its own in place. It will match up to $50,000 annually in donations made to Historic Greenfield.
For example, a $50 individual contribution will be matched $50 by the benefactor; in turn, the county will match the individual ‘s contribution and the benefactor’s match. Thus, county officials explained, the initial donation of $50 will yield $200 for preserving Historic Greenfield.
Botetourt’s Historic Greenfield is a 29-acre site in the Amsterdam area. It’s located at the eastern edge of the 18-century plantation owned by Col. William Preston, an influential political and military leader in Colonial Virginia. His Greenfield plantation was the cultural, economic, and political center of Botetourt County and the Virginia frontier.
The preservation site includes three rare antebellum log structures, two of which were part of the enslaved community at Greenfield. In the immediate surroundings of the preservation area, there are archaeological sites containing evidence of early Native American settlements. The area also includes two historically significant cemeteries, and the remains of “The Jefferson Gardens,” a terraced garden thought to have been built by Preston’s heirs in the late 19th century.
A 15-member citizens’ council appointed by the Botetourt Board of Supervisors provides long-range planning and daily management of Historic Greenfield. The Advisory Council holds monthly meetings that are open to the public.
Judy Morris, the chair of Historic Greenfield Advisory Council, said of the match program, “Our citizens’ council has been working hard for nearly three years to create a preservation area that honors Botetourt’s history by preserving the priceless structures located there. This generous match program will provide enormous support for us as we begin planning public programs at Greenfield during the coming months.”
Donations to Historic Greenfield are administered by the Botetourt County Treasurer’s Office. Checks should be written to “Botetourt County/ Historic Greenfield” and mailed to Botetourt County Treasurer, P.O. Box 100, Fincastle, 24090. Donations may be deductible on federal and Virginia taxes.
