Bill Text: VA HR66 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-05 - Bill text as passed House (HR66ER) [HR66 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HR66-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation have undertaken an ambitious enterprise to acquire, restore, landscape, and furnish a number of historic properties in New Kent and Charles City Counties to preserve them for the education and enjoyment of the public; and
WHEREAS, the roots of the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation trace to 1990, when John B. Poindexter initiated a major restoration of the historic Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County, Texas; and
WHEREAS, motivated by the accomplishments of the Cibolo Creek Ranch project and drawn to the New Kent County area because it is the location of the Poindexter ancestral home, Criss-Cross Farm, John B. Poindexter began acquiring and restoring additional properties in New Kent and Charles City Counties in the early 2010s, an endeavor that would evolve into the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation in 2020; and
WHEREAS, John B. Poindexter has transferred or plans to transfer his property holdings in New Kent and Charles City Counties and Presidio County, Texas, including his largest and oldest holding in New Kent County, Cumberland Estate, as well as Cibolo Creek Ranch, so that they may be preserved for the benefit of future generations; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation embarked on a multi-million dollar restoration of Hampstead in New Kent County, an exemplary Greek Revival mansion built in 1825; and
WHEREAS, inspired by other historic attractions in the Commonwealth like Williamsburg and Jamestown, John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation aspire to transport visitors to a different era by restoring Hampstead and other properties to their original, fully functioning state; and
WHEREAS, John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation have employed craftsmen, historians, archeologists, and academics to better understand the history of their properties and guide the restoration process, as well as biologists and botanists to conserve the local flora and fauna; and
WHEREAS, with great vision and sense of purpose, John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation have contributed immeasurably to the nationwide effort to connect the public with historic spaces and to foster a deeper understanding of and appreciation for our country's distinguished history; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation hereby be commended for their efforts to preserve the history of the Commonwealth and the nation and to make meaningful historic sites more accessible to the public; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to John B. Poindexter and the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for their mission and best wishes for their success.
