[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 133 (Friday, August 4, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

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                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 4, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to your and our 
colleagues' attention an important ribbon-cutting ceremony in 
Winchester, Virginia, on Friday, August 4, 2017, officially announcing 
the renaming of the former Old Court House Civil War Museum to the 
``Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum''.
  The ceremony was also an opportunity to honor a great civic leader of 
the Shenandoah Valley, Jim Wilkins, Jr., with the presentation of the 
Graves Family Philanthropic Leadership Award, in recognition of Mr. 
Wilkins' leadership on behalf of civil war battlefield preservation and 
other worthy causes, including the Frederick County/Winchester Law 
Enforcement Foundation, which he helped establish.
  This name change signals a continuation of the energetic expansion of 
the preservation and enhancement of civil war sites by the Shenandoah 
Valley Battlefields Foundation, on whose Board of Directors Mr. Wilkins 
is an active member. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Keven 
Walker, the new name of the museum, coupled with new and renovated 
exhibits that will include youth activities and interactive learning 
tools, will make the museum a compelling attraction for Civil War 
enthusiasts and their families. The foundation will be able to tell the 
broader story of the Civil War in the entire Shenandoah Valley that 
will include Union, Confederate, civilian and African-American 
perspectives.
  These initiatives of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation 
and its partners have had a significantly positive economic impact on 
my Valley constituents. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National 
Historic District is an important driver of the regional economy, 
contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually and sustaining 
thousands of jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in thanking CEO 
Keven Walker, Jim Wilkins, Jr. and the Board of Directors and staff of 
the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation for the extraordinary 
energy and commitment they have brought to preserving the vitally 
important story of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley, including 
the newly named Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum which promises to 
become a driver of the regional economy as it emerges as an important 
center of the history and culture of the Shenandoah Valley.

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