Photo by jason.mundy.

While D.C. is busy protesting the arrival of four Wal-Marts within the District lines by showing up at a developer’s home, Virginia residents are taking it a step further by challenging a proposed store in court. The proposed store, near the Wilderness Battlefield, is drawing ire from local residents and area preservationists who believe the store will undercut the historic value of battlefield.

In 1864, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first met at Wilderness Battlefield, approximately 60 miles southwest of Washington, near Spotsylvania, VA. Now, the supercenter is due in court Tuesday where they’ll have to defend against historic preservation concerns. The plaintiffs are challenging the zoning approval Wal-Mart received to go forward on construction. If the trial moves forward, expect testimony from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson and the descendants of Civil War soldiers.

Not surprisingly, this is the culmination of a nearly two year battle to get Wal-Mart in court to stop the construction of this supercenter. These fights against development are long and hard. So D.C., if you’re really anti-Wal-Mart maybe you need to up your game a bit. Holding signs outside of a developer’s home isn’t quite as hardcore as working for two years to take them to court.