Virginia protects 480 Potomac acres, linking to 7,000 acres of conserved land

The landscape that surrounds historic sites often holds stories that go far beyond the buildings and monuments that stand on them. From myriad forests to riverbanks that have seen and shaped early settlements to the land that have sustained generations of people, these spaces hold a multitude of natural and human histories. In Virginia, 480 acres along the Potomac River at Stratford Hall Historic Preserve have now received permanent protection through a new conservation easement, helping preserve the area's wildlife, historic landscape and cultural resources for generations to come.What does protecting 480 acres of land mean?On October 18, 2026, Stratford Hall Historic Preserve and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) established a permanent and perpetual open-space conservation easemen agreeement covering approximately 480 acres of land along the Potomoc river, known as the Kentucky Hills.