JAMESTOWN, Va. — To preserve the first permanent English settlement in America, Norfolk Southern Corporation has provided $1 million to the Save Jamestown campaign.
In a release, Preservation Virginia said the "contribution provides a crucial start" in the effort to strengthen Historic Jamestowne's infrastructure, specifically against rising sea levels and flooding.
"Preserving this historically significant site is critical in the face of environmental challenges," Norfolk Southern Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin said in a prepared statement.
Before new berms, floodgates and pumping stations can be built, officials with Preservation Virginia say environmental and archaeological studies will have to be conducted.
From major storms to rising sea levels and historic tides, Jamestown has regularly been flooded. Officials say this has interfered with preservation efforts and poses a concern that buried artifacts could be swept away.
"The future of the site—its historic landscape, archaeological discoveries, collection and exhibition spaces and educational programming—is in jeopardy," according to the release.
Preservation Virginia has owned Jamestown since 1893 and launched the archaeology program Jamestown Rediscovery in 1994. That program has led to the discovery of more than 4 million artifacts.
Historic Jamestowne typically welcomes 200,000-plus visitors each year, the nonprofit said.
Norfolk Southern is also working with the Elizabeth River Project to stabilize erosion along the shoreline near Lambert’s Point marine terminal in Norfolk.
