African-American Historic Site in Path of Bypass Found Eligible for Federal Protection

As reported by C-ville Weekly, a federal official recently determined that an historic farmstead located squarely in the path of the proposed 29 Bypass is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The farmstead was owned by Jesse Scott Sammons, a prominent African-American educator and leader in Emancipation-era Albemarle County.  In light of the federal official’s determination, VDOT must avoid the farmstead if at all possible, and it must minimize impacts to the site if there is no way it can be avoided.  These issues must be worked out before the federal government may complete its ongoing environmental review of the project.