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  Ben Venue
 
 
  County: Rappahannock
   
  Easement Holder: Virginia Outdoors Foundation
   
  Eased Acreage: 1,884 acres
   
  Conservation
  Value:		 Ben Venue possesses significant natural, scenic, historic and open-space values that benefit the citizens of the Commonwealth. The property's easement furthers the policy of the County's Comprehensive Plan to "preserve the overall view shed of the county in its unspoiled, natural settings which gives it special character and identity" and to preserve and enhance the rural and open spaces.
 
 
  Historic Resources
   
  Ben Venue was placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The property is eligible for recognition as a Virginia Century Farm having remained in the same family for 199 years. It includes historic buildings such as the Ben Venue house (ca. 1844 – 1846), three former slave cabins, the original W. Fletcher house (ca. 1805), the kitchen smokehouse, privy, and the Deatherage’s Store and Post Office. 
   
  Natural Resources
   
  The property includes the slopes and peaks of Meetinghouse Mountain and complies with the county’s plan to “preserve and protect the mountains with special scenic ridge tops.”  The property is located within the Rappahannock River Watershed – an area designated as worthy of special environmental protection by the County’s Comprehensive Plan and a public water source for the city of Fredericksburg.
   
  Scenic Resources
   
  The property figures prominently in the scenic enjoyment of views from Skyline Drive, the Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Scenic Trail and the surrounding countryside.