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Waterford receives major federal grant for preservation

December 11, 2001

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) has announced that Waterford will receive a $1 million grant to help protect the historic community from development. The money will be used to preserve the land around the village and to ensure that any road improvements are compatible with the character of Waterford. "Protecting the integrity of Waterford is very important because of the historic significance of the village. This funding will go a long way toward helping keep Waterford the way it is today," said Wolf.

Waterford was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. President of the Waterford Foundation Cary Cravatt notes, "This is an experimental project. The grant is not severely restricted the way some others are. They let you go out and figure out the best way to achieve you goals." Cravatt also points out that the there is an extensive evaluation process and that the federal government requires full accountability for the grant.

The grant money will not be actually given to the Waterford Foundation but will instead be distributed to the agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Transportation, that work with the foundation. A central effort of the project will be to try to get as many scenic easements as possible on the properties that are adjacent to the roads that run into the town, Cravatt said. "This is a project that is still unfolding," emphasized Cravatt.

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