The Clarke County Historic Preservation Commision honored the winners of the Commision’s annual awards on Thursday, 24 May. Among those lauded was Holy Cross Abbey, granted a Stewardship Award. Marty Hiatt, presenting the award, noted that the Abbey, located on the site of the largest Civil War battle in Clarke County, has maintained a working farm and conserved the land’s historic resources for the past sixty-two years. He also referred to the community’s environmental initiatives, our efforts to protect our streams and waterways and preserve the land through conservation easement.
Abbot Robert Barnes, accompanied by the community’s Sustainability Officer, Mr. Edward Leonard, received the award on behalf of the community. “It’s a thrill for us to get this award. It’s quite unexpected”, Abbot Robert noted.