ists, believed that Disney's theme park would unleash urban sprawl that
would choke the battlefield park and leave the remaining open spaces
clogged with traffic. National Park Service officials saw a double-edged
sword with Disney: a willing negotiator interested in aiding the federal gov-
ernment in its quest to reduce congestion in the battlefield park and a mag-
netic company that would draw new development and new problems to the
surrounding landscape. Disney retreated in the face of sustained protests
that threatened the company's cherished public image. The national park
waits for the next development proposal.

The controversies surrounding the William Center and Disney's America
were the most recent in a long line of "third battles" of Manassas. This
history examines the resulting national debates over a federal highway, na-
tional cemetery, two theme parks, and land acquisition and boundary ex-
pansions for the battlefield park. What should be emphasized is that each
of these battles was national in scope. The battlefield park at Manassas is
exceptional in this regard. Its location near the nation's capital ensures that
even minor disputes reported in local newspapers gain the ear of congres-
sional members. The transformation of its surrounding countryside from
rural outpost to suburban center guarantees that development pressures
will continue to spawn concern and controversy over the welfare of the
park. The battlefield park has inspired a dedicated group of individuals
who are not afraid to act on perceived threats to the park. Other sites within
the national park system might have encountered similar threats, but few
have attracted the same level of national attention.

This national attention has given Americans the opportunity to debate
the intricacies of historic preservation and decide what course to support
for the future. By telling the stories of the individual preservation struggles
at Manassas National Battlefield Park, this book serves two purposes: first, it
explains the legacies of park managers, developers, local and state govern-
ing boards, and citizens who determined how not one, but by example all
national park sites have been protected. Second, this book examines the
complexity of the idea of historic preservation as it has been practiced in
one national park. Historic preservation has often been defined by its some-
times conflicting roles of protecting a resource and using the resource to
educate the public about its significance. The example at Manassas Na-
tional Battlefield Park makes clear that a wide range of potential and ac-
ceptable uses of parkland exists and that standards of acceptability have
changed over time.

My central argument in this book is that historic preservation works, but
that it requires vigilance and commitment on the part of all Americans.

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