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Buckland, Virginia, has been recognized by some of the nation's leading architectural and landscape historians as one of the most intact examples of late-18th century to mid-19th century vernacular villages now documented. With twenty-one of the original twenty-six structures extant in their original context, the only period of great loss was during the 1950’s, when the Virginia Department of Transportation removed five of the village’s original buildings for a transportation project.

However, with the aid of ground penetrating radar and archaeological investigation, the buildings’ foundations have recently been located. Since that time, the structures have been slowly restored with the aid of 19th and 20th century drawings and photographs. The Buckland Preservation Society has also assembled an important collection of papers on 18th and 19th century American commerce including account books, deeds, letters, and other business records for the purpose of creating a center of learning for the early national period. This project is supported by University of Mary Washington, George Mason University, and University of Virginia. These resources allow the restoration of the village to commence with tremendous insight and assure its continued authenticity.

The village of Buckland has been designated as a National Register Historic District comprising twenty-one buildings. The entire viewshed of the village consists of a Priority II Civil War battlefield in "nearly pristine condition" eligible for the American Battlefield Protection Program's matching funding for conservation easements. This makes it possible to preserve the village AND its equally significant viewshed. While these designations are exciting, Buckland is just 35 miles from Washington, D.C., and as such advancing sprawl now surrounds this historic area is its entirety. This scenario is unfortunately not new, but what is unusual at Buckland is that a majority of its contiguous property owners understand that preserving this important historic site is potentially more rewarding over the long-term than the tremendous profit potential offered by development in the short-run.

For Buckland, is it possible to preserve a cultural landscape while real estate values soar? Is it acting responsibly towards future generations if we choose to significantly alter a cultural landscape while simply leaving a marker to what was once there? Finally, if places like this can be preserved, can they serve as a renewable resource bringing long-term tourism to the local economy?

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