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More than $290 million realized ...
Virginia, unlike Kentucky, shows impact
of Civil War visitation, spending income
Virginia’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War resulted in more than $290 million in spending and 3.7 million people visiting the state, according to an economic impact study.
Programs marking the 150th anniversary generated more than $8.4 million in state tax revenue and nearly $5 million in local tax revenue, according to the study by Chmura Economics & Analytics.
The study estimates the total economic impact of Civil War sesquicentennial programs and events, combining commemoration expenditures and visitor spending, at $290.3 million, supporting 3,488 jobs. Direct spending by visitors to sesquicentennial events is estimated at $165.7 million. According to the report, sesquicentennial programs and events, as well as visitor spending in Virginia related to the commemoration, “contributed positively to the Commonwealth’s economy in terms of sales, jobs, and tax revenue.” Virginia was the scene of many of the major Civil War battles during the four-year conflict.
Although Kentucky ranks high nationally in the number of Civil War battles and skirmishes, statistics are not available concerning the impact of War Between the States revenue.
The study was done at the request of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission. The commission, headed by Speaker of the House of Delegates William J. Howell, was created by the General Assembly in 2006 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The state commission worked with nearly every locality in Virginia to sponsor special events, lectures, battlefield tours and programs related to the Civil War and emancipation. While the Chmura study considered data from more than 1,500 local events, altogether more than 3,500 local events were submitted to the online sesquicentennial calendar throughout the sesquicentennial.
“The sesquicentennial was truly a statewide event, with effects that are far-reaching and lasting,” Howell said. “From the beginning, it was our goal that the sesquicentennial leave a positive legacy in terms of education, tourism and preservation, and I am proud to say that it has been successful on all counts. In addition to award-winning exhibitions and programs, the sesquicentennial has engaged visitors throughout the state and sparked a renewed interest in Virginia’s rich history.”
Robertson – a renowned historian, a member of the commission and professor emeritus of Civil War history at Virginia Tech – said that the commemoration featured both quality and solemnity. He praised “widespread local participation, huge public involvement, variety of programs, and long-range projects still underway – all of which made an impact of national recognition.”
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