VARINA, Va. — 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."
The water from Camp Holly Springs not only provides pure drinking water but also helps cleanse pollutants from the Chesapeake Bay.
"This is actually a source going into the James that is pure water so our spring are part of the solution and not part of the problem," Dowdy said.
The property is rich with historical significance.
Native Americans, Revolutionary War soldiers, War of 1812 fighters, and Civil War troops all drank from these springs. Military conflicts from multiple American wars played out on this very land, including actions by the United States Colored Troops who earned recognition for heroism in 1864.
"The area around here at one time was called Camp Holly Farm," Dowdy said.
With urban sprawl increasingly threatening eastern Henrico County's rural character, the Dowdys decided to take permanent action to protect their land.
"Once you have that land developed, it is very difficult to get it back to a natural state," Dowdy said.
The conservation easement ensures the property will remain undeveloped forever.
"It can't be turned back we can't say hey we want to do over. We're going to build a housing development. No one from this point on will ever be able to put a development on the property in the easement," Dowdy said.
Parker Agelasto, Executive Director of the Capital Region Land Conservancy, praised the family's decision. His non-profit has helped preserve 3,000 acres in eastern Henrico over the past decade.
"Places like Camp Holly where the spring has been providing portable drinking water for thousands and thousands and thousands of years which is evident you don't get that if it's gone," Agelasto said.
With land values soaring in Varina, the Dowdys could have sold their property to developers for a substantial profit. Instead, they chose to preserve Camp Holly Springs.
"It is protecting an irreplaceable resource that we have stewardship over. Knowing that we have that protection gives me a lot of peace at night," Dowdy said.
Agelasto believes the Dowdys' decision could inspire other landowners to consider conservation easements.
"That is an incredible win and it's not just for Richmond. It's not just for Henrico. It's not just for the state of Virginia this is truly a generational in perpetuity win for everyone," Agelasto said.
For Dusty Dowdy, the decision reflects a deep personal commitment to preserving his family's legacy.
"I have lived with this property for my entire life," Dowdy said. "I don't want it to end on my watch."
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