Kristen Laise, executive director of Belle Grove, discusses the early settlement of the Shenandoah Valley by the Hite Family starting in the 1730s and how water played a central role in their settlement patterns.
Kristen Laise is the Executive Director of Belle Grove Plantation, a historic property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation located in Middletown, Virginia. Belle Grove is a non-profit partner in Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. She joined Belle Grove in 2013 and in addition to managing daily operations and special events, she coordinates research on the African American history of the site, including archaeology.