Local family rejects development to save historic Varina property
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A Henrico County family is taking bold action to protect a piece of Virginia's natural and historical heritage from encroaching development.
The Dowdy family has placed 139 acres surrounding Camp Holly Springs under a conservation and historic preservation easement with the Department of Historic Resources.
The natural spring on their property has been flowing for millennia, creating an ecosystem virtually untouched since prehistoric times.
"These springs that we get our water from have been flowing since prehistoric times," Roland "Dusty" Dowdy III said.
The Dowdy family has owned Camp Holly Springs since the 1950s, but their connection to the land goes back generations.
"For me it has always been about the rural quality of Varina," Dowdy said. "A lot of my family history is tied up in it. My great grandfather lived on this property."
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