Group is drawing attention to the historic swath between Gettysburg and Monticello

This is a National Heritage Area running from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, through Maryland and West Virginia, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. The historical land, stretching 180 miles long and 75 miles wide, includes nine presidential homes and birthplaces, more than 10,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and sites from the Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, War of 1812, and the Civil War. This historic region is home not only to beautiful homes, charming towns, and battlefields, but also 13 of the nation’s 400 national parks.

Restoring enthusiasm in American history is the mission of most of the Grateful American™ Foundation.

So it was a pleasure for Grateful American™ Radio Show co-hosts Hope Katz Gibbs and David Bruce Smith to travel to Waterford, VA — headquarters of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership (JTHG) — to interview Cate Magennis Wyatt, founder and president of the organization.

Wyatt’s mission is to shine a spotlight on the National Heritage Area that runs from Gettysburg, PA, through Maryland and West Virginia, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.

Her dedication to bringing history to life is inspiring. And it’s not just teaching more people about the lives and accomplishments of the Founding Fathers and Mothers that Wyatt is interested in. Her goal is to have millions of people visit the historical swath that stretches 180 miles long and 75 miles wide, and includes:

● Nine presidential homes and birthplaces,

● More than 10,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and

● Sites from the Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, War of 1812, and the Civil War.

Indeed, this region is home not only to beautiful houses, charming towns, and battlefields — but also to 13 of the nation’s 400 national parks. So there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Scroll down for the Grateful American™ Radio Show’s Q&A with Cate Magennis Wyatt, who tells us more about The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership — a fascinating program for kids and adults, which truly brings history to life.

Hope Katz Gibbs: Journey Through Hallowed Ground, a nonprofit organization and four-state partnership based in Waterford, VA, has been dedicated to raising awareness of the unparalleled American history of the region since 2005. Tell us about this project.

Cate Magennis Wyatt: There is no place like this stretch of ground, from Gettysburg to Monticello, anywhere else in the country or the world. So when my husband and I returned to this region from London and Moscow to raise our children, I was shocked to find that there was a casino being planned in Gettysburg, and townhouses being planned overlooking Thomas Jefferson’s home on Montalto, which is part of his original estate. The site of the largest cavalry battle in the history of North America, Brandy Station, was being planned for a multimillion square-foot shopping mall. It struck me that we were taking for granted the stories of some very important individuals.

It seemed obvious to me that if we could engage the mainstream community in every town and historic home from Gettysburg to Monticello, then we would have a fighting chance to do the right thing and honor the history made here....

At the same time, we envisioned that JTHG would also support the quality of life of all the citizens who lived here. Tourism is the number one industry of this area, yet in 2005, visitation to every site was going downward. I am pleased to report that since then, we have met or exceeded each of our objectives....

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