Dominion Donates Building, Land Valued At Nearly $1 Million To Virginia Program For At-Risk Youth
BREMO BLUFF, Va. – Dominion, one of the nation’s
largest energy companies, today donated a pre-Revolutionary War mansion and
approximately six acres in Fluvanna County, to Elk
Hill, a non-profit program for at-risk youth. The building and land are
valued at $950,000.
The 1725 estate, known as "Spring Garden,"
is located on a hill overlooking the James River and adjacent to Dominion’s
Bremo Power Station. Elk Hill will renovate the home and use it as the
organization’s first residential treatment facility for at-risk
young women ages 13-18. The staff will model the program on its successful
residential program for young men.
Elk Hill will provide both specialized education and
life-skills training that will enable the young women to become productive
adults.
"Spring Garden," a 1725 estate, was donated by Dominion to Elk
Hill, a non-profit program for at-risk youth. [Click on the photo
for a printable enlargement.]
Elk Hill currently operates three residential facilities for
at-risk young men, two group homes, two alternative day schools and an outreach
program.
"This is an especially meaningful donation because the
work done here will help turn around the lives of troubled young women,"
said William C. Hall, Jr., vice president- External Affairs & Corporate
Communications, and president of the Dominion Foundation.
Dominion and Elk Hill are jointly hosting an open house today
at Spring Garden for local officials and neighbors.
"Our employees at Bremo are looking forward to seeing
Spring Garden come alive again," said David A. Heacock, Dominion senior
vice president-Fossil & Hydro. "We are truly pleased to have found
such a useful purpose for this home."
Dominion purchased Spring Garden in 1976. In the early 1980s
the company renovated the structure and used it as a conference site. For the
past several years, however, the company’s use of the facility has been
minimal.
Spring Garden is rich in history. According to local historical
records, Spring Garden was built on land that was granted by King George III
of England. Confederate Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee was said to have visited
the home frequently.
"We are grateful for Dominion’s generosity,"
said M. Bagley Reid, president of the Elk Hill board of trustees. "Support
from the business community is essential to the success of our programs."
This donation ranks as one of Dominion’s largest corporate
gifts. In 2005 Dominion donated $500,000 to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
to support the national significance of the 400th anniversary of the founding
of Jamestown. In 2000 Dominion donated a 477-acre tract of land in West Virginia
to The Nature Conservancy.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy,
with an energy portfolio of about 28,100 megawatts of generation, about 6.3
trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves and 7,800 miles
of natural gas transmission pipeline. Dominion also operates the nation's largest
underground natural gas storage system with more than 950 billion cubic feet
of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in nine states. For more
information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
