PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (703) 214-6822
ALDIE, VA, March 24, 2025 – Governor Youngkin has included the Oak Hill State Park Plan in his budget amendments back to the General Assembly, following a private tour of Oak Hill with Delegate Geary Higgins.
Higgins and Youngkin met privately at Oak Hill on Monday, March 10th with the DeLashmutt family, Heather Richards from the Conservation Fund, and Acting Secretary Stefanie Taillon. During the meeting, they toured the property and discussed the once-in-a lifetime opportunity to secure an important piece of Virginia’s history. Recapping the meeting, Governor Youngkin said, “Delegate Geary Higgins called me and invited me to go visit, and we had a quiet visit… For anybody who’s worked with me, I need a business plan, and I want to see that it works, and then I can support it. Delegate Higgins has been an incredibly strong advocate for including [Oak Hill] in the budget.”
Delegate Higgins, who successfully secured local and state funding for Loudoun’s Sweet Run State Park in the beginning of Governor Youngkin’s term, issued the following statement:
“I have been working with the Governor for the better part of the past year on making this Park a reality, and I am extremely grateful for his willingness to listen and his decision to support the Park. Two weeks ago, I invited him out to see the property and the vision, and we had a great visit with the DeLashmutt family. We discussed the financials at length in the very room where the Monroe Doctrine was written. I was thoroughly impressed with the Governor’s preparedness and in-depth knowledge of the entire plan.
I could never give up on Oak Hill. If we did nothing, then President Monroe’s home would have become just another Northern Virginia subdivision, lost forever. If passed in the budget, Oak Hill State Park will bring to life incredible historic events like the Monroe Doctrine, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Missouri Compromise to millions of people.
I hope my colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly will support the acquisition of Oak Hill and help bring this incredible piece of history to life for future generations. The top reason visitors come to Virginia is for its history, and therefore significant economic impact will result from this as well. This plan is a tremendous win for everyone, and especially for people, like me, who love our nation’s history. I cannot thank the DeLashmutt family and Governor Youngkin enough for their shared vision to make this possible.”
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For Additional Information, please contact Tanner Hirschfeld, Chief of Staff, at [email protected] or at (703) 214-6822.