A Guide to the REHAU, Inc. Head Office Master Plan, Historical and Archeological Investigations at Fort Evans, April 1998 #SC 0030

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

REHAU, Inc. Head Office Master Plan, Historical and Archeological Investigations at Fort Evans (SC 0030), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

REHAU, Inc.

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

1998.0012

Processing Information

Processed by Emily Hershman, 4 January 2008.

REHAU, Inc. was founded in Rehau, Germany in 1948. In the decades succeeding its establishment, REHAU has expanded its business to North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and other European countries. Its goals to provide effective polymer-based materials have been particularly successful in construction and automotive industries. The company now has more than 14, 000 employees in 170 locations around the world.

In 1998, REHAU proposed to expand company headquarters in Leesburg, Virginia. In order to avoid destroying Fort Evans, a nearby Civil War site, numerous historical and archeological investigations were conducted. This collection contains the survey completed by John Milner Associates of the fort and its surrounding area, in preparation for the expansion.

Scope and Content

The REHAU, Inc. survey contains pictures and descriptions of Civil War artifacts, as well as an account of Fort Evan's historical significance.

The survey begins by describing the site of REHAU's proposed construction, which is 6 acres around the building and 50 feet from Fort Evan's earthworks. It details the historical and political consequences of the Battle of Ball's Bluff during the Civil War, noting troop movements and officers involved in the skirmish. The survey concludes that Confederate troops were stationed near or passed by Fort Evans on their way to Balls Bluff. It then describes Laboratory Processing and Analysis, in which artifacts were sorted by type, material, function, and cultural and chronological association. Field Results are also noted, including the discovery of two rifle pits, as well as unauthorized metal detecting and modern disturbance of the site. The survey's Field Results confirm that the majority of Civil War artifacts were shell or artillery fragments concentrated around the two rifle pits. From the shell fragments discovered, the survey identifies two types of Confederate weaponry: the Parrott Rifle (1853 and 1855 models) and the Enfield rifle-musket. The survey concludes that REHAU's proposed construction will not destroy the earthworks, but will obstruct the Fort's view from the north. Other materials contained in the survey include pictures of Civil War generals, maps providing an overview of the site and rifle pits, and artifacts discovered near the rifle pits. Appendix I is a review of the earthworks management conducted by the National Park Service, and states that a stable plant community should be maintained in order to enhance historic interpretation of the site.

The REHAU survey is the only item in this collection.