Boyle officials explore national status
for Perryville’s Civil War battlefield

Mill Springs already wants to go that route. Now, Perryville seeks the same direction.

Boyle County officials announced recently they want to explore national park status for the Perryville Battlefield.

Harold McKinney, Boyle County judge executive, and Jennifer Kirchner, executive director of the county’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, are heading the project that resulted from an idea Kirchner had after attending a CVB Bluegrass regional meeting last year.

McKinney said federal designation could have positive effects on the area.

“It’s an economic driver of significant proportions if we can make this happen,” he added.

Kirchner said the project is currently in the research phase and is gathering support throughout the state.

“We’re in the process of compiling information for the next step,” she said. “We want to be very cautious that we have every stone uncovered before we started asking politicians in Washington to support this.”

McKinney said the county still has several hurdles to clear, including issues with deeds, easements and property ownership. No timeline is set for the project and it could take an estimated five years or longer.

Kirchner noted also that national recognition could bring more money to the park.

“We already have visitors come from all over the country and we think by becoming a national park, we can increase that (revenue).”

By becoming a federally recognized park, Kirchner said Perryville Battlefield also would be included in national marketing and tourism plans, which could bring big crowds to Boyle County.

“People plan their vacations around national parks,” she said. “The folks at the battlefield do a great job, but they have limited resources.”

Despite positive economic aspects of enhancing the park, the project has been met with resistance by Perryville Battlefield re-enactors because of federal regulations preventing re-enactments at national parks.

Danny Burnes, who had his first re-enactment at Perryville Battlefield, said the feeling is bittersweet.

“Right now, we can have the re-enactments on the actual battlefields where the men fought and to a lot of people, including myself, that’s special.”

But, he added, not having re-enactments would be a “big loss to the community.”

“It would be like the efforts we put forth through fundraising and personal labor would have been for nothing,” he said. “It’s almost like they’re taking it from us.”

However, Burnes said he also can see an upside to having the park become federally recognized.

“The land would be preserved basically forever,” he said. “It couldn’t be touched and we wouldn’t have to worry about development on it.”

Joni House, director of Perryville Battlefield, said it’s almost like a double-edged sword.

“I see a lot of good that it would accomplish, but I see a lot of things that might be detrimental to the community,” she said. “It’s good and bad.”

But Vicki Goode, director of Main Street Perryville, said the federal economic benefit would be much greater than what the state could provide.

“The state has done a beautiful job with that park, but with the current fiscal budgets and the restraints we have in our state, I just hope that on a federal level it would have the funds to be better sustained.”

Goode said the national exposure Boyle County could gain would be incredibly beneficial.

“With that national exposure, even more people would be brought into the area to stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants and shop in our downtown,” she said. “The economic stimulus would be great.”

McKinney said Perryville Battlefield is “a diamond in the rough” and just “needs to be polished.”

The battlefield, which became part of the state park system in 1936, brings in an estimated 200,000 visitors each year. Being nationally recognized, it would join the ranks of other Civil War-era battlefields, including Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

In January, Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers reintroduced legislation to preserve Mill Springs Battlefield as a member of the U.S. National Park Service. Mill Springs has been exploring national park status since 2010.

Perryville is the site of the largest Civil War battle fought in Kentucky (Oct. 8,1862) and Mill Springs, located at Nancy, is the third largest. The Battle of Mill Springs was fought Jan. 19, also in 1862.