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Board approves property-tax exemption for Generals' Redoubt after public hearing
Summary
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 25 to grant a real-property tax exemption to Generals' Redoubt Inc., a 501(c)(3) that owns Fancy Hill, after a public hearing during which residents disputed whether the group's main activity serves the public good.
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 25 to grant a property-tax exemption to Generals' Redoubt Inc., a 501(c)(3) that owns the historic Fancy Hill property at 3719 Lee Highway in Glasgow.
Why the story matters: the property is assessed at $808,090 and the 2025 tax on the parcel was $5,176.96; a decision to exempt the parcel removes that revenue from the county’s property-tax base and prompted residents to oppose the exemption at a public hearing.
At the public hearing, John Lane, vice president of Generals' Redoubt, described the group's plans to preserve and renovate Fancy Hill — a structure with portions dating to 1790 and an addition in 1840 — and to house an operational office and, eventually, a residential unit in the main house. Lane said the organization had invested more than $1 million to renovate the house and expected additional work. “We want to be good neighbors,” he told the board and asked for the exemption.
Two residents spoke in opposition. Liz Murtaugh, of Fairfield in the South River District, asked supervisors not to grant the exemption because the county needs tax base revenue. Brian Richardson, a former Washington and Lee University faculty member, argued the organization’s principal activity is “propaganda” rather than service to the common good and said an exemption would shift tax burdens to neighbors.
County staff briefed the board that the Generals' Redoubt is a recognized 501(c)(3) and that the exemption is a legislative act within the board’s discretion; staff also noted approximately 15 of the parcel’s 19 acres were in agricultural land-use classification with a separate residential curtilage.
After public comment the board moved and adopted the resolution to grant the exemption. The vote recorded on the transcript was unanimous among the four supervisors present: Supervisors Lyons, Lewis, Day and Chair Ayers recorded affirmative votes. The transcript records no additional conditions attached to the exemption at the meeting.
The board did not discuss a plan for ongoing public access or programming at Fancy Hill during the meeting and no follow-up conditions or reporting requirements were included in the motion that passed. The county attorney advised the board on the procedure for voting on exemption requests and the board proceeded with a legislative vote on the resolution.
