2026 Fall Seminar
Join us for our 2026 Civil War conference, September 25-27, 2026 – “Forty Years of Triumph: A Retrospective of Preservation Success at Antietam and Beyond”
“In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays”
— Joshua Chamberlain, October 3, 1889, Dedication of the 20th Maine Monument, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Join us on September 25-27, 2026, for a special gathering to celebrate the triumphs of the modern-day Civil War battlefield preservation movement in the Eastern Theater. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of Save Historic Antietam Foundation (SHAF), an organization critical to the preservation and interpretation of the Battle of Antietam. This gathering serves as an opportunity to champion not only the preservation work of SHAF, but also that of other Civil War preservation groups.
Our line-up features fourteen academic scholars, public historians, and battlefield preservationists, many who have shaped the modern-day Civil War battlefield preservation movement. Join us for three days of battlefield walks, lectures, and discussions that consider the imperative of Civil War battlefield preservation.
“Early bird” attendees can kick-off the conference on Friday morning with a battlefield walk at Antietam. This year’s program is anchored by two battlefield tours, one of Harpers Ferry, led by Dennis Frye, and another of Antietam, led by Dennis Frye, Tom Clemens, and Garry Adelman. These field experiences give attendees a chance to stand on historic terrain while learning of monumental victories in battlefield preservation from the people on the front lines of these efforts.
Dr. Caroline Janney will give the keynote address on the origins of battlefield preservation and commemoration. Friday’s events will feature a discussion with Dennis Frye and Tom Clemens on “Celebrating SHAF at 40,” followed by a lecture from A. Wilson Greene on the creation and early years of the Association of Preservation of Civil War Sites (the modern-day American Battlefield Trust). Then, on Saturday, Clark “Bud” Hall will highlight the preservation of Brandy Station and Civil War sites in Culpeper County, Virginia.
Representatives from regional preservation organizations, including Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association, and Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, will participate in a roundtable on preservation challenges and successes.
Author books will be available for sale on Friday thanks to our friends at the Harpers Ferry Park Association.
Registration and further details provided soon. We look forward to seeing you this fall!
To learn more about Save Historic Antietam Foundation and donate to their preservation efforts, click here.
Have additional questions? Please contact our director Dr. Jennifer Murray at jmurr01@shepherd.edu or Program Coordinator Kristen Marino at kmarino@shepherd.edu
Cancellations made one month before the start of the seminar will be refunded in full. Cancellations made after one month before the start of the seminar will not be refunded.
The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd University has offered annual seminars for nearly thirty years, each exploring a wide range of topics and themes related to the American Civil War. This year’s conference offers an exciting and dynamic line-up that will expand and deepen our understanding of battlefield preservation.
Our seminar focuses on a highly individualized experience in which participants have ample opportunities to interact with one another and our guest scholars. We promote an intimate environment and each seminar creates a community knitted together by a mutual passion for the nineteenth-century’s most critical period. We invite you to come and experience a truly unique immersive weekend that features original, innovative programming as well as carefully chosen dining experiences. To add your name to our mailing list or inquire about seminar scholarship activities, please contact us at kmarino@shepherd.edu.