Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a National Historical Park
of original and reconstructed nineteenth century buildings. It was signed into law August 3, 1935. The village was made a national monument in 1940 and a national historical park in 1954. It is located three miles (5 km) east of Appomattox
, Virginia
, the location of the Appomattox Station
and the "new" Appomattox Court House
. It is in the center of the state about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of Lynchburg, Virginia
. The village is famous as the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House and containing the house of Wilmer McLean
, where the surrender of the Confederate Army
under Robert E. Lee
to Union
commander Ulysses S. Grant
took place on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War
.
The historical park was described in 1989 as having an area of 1325 acres (536.2 ha).
stop along the Richmond-Lynchburg stage road. It was the site of organizational meetings and in 1845 the village of Clover Hill was chosen as the new county seat of Appomattox. The activity in Clover Hill centered around Clover Hill Tavern. The tavern provided lodging to travelers. Fresh horses for the stage line were also provided at the stop, which had been done since the tavern was built.
When Appomattox County was established by an Act on February 8, 1845, Clover Hill village became the county seat. It was parts of Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte, and Campbell Counties. The jurisdiction took its name from the headwaters that emanate there, the Appomattox River
. Early Virginians believe the name Appomattox came from an Indian tribe called Apumetec.
From about 1842 Hugh Raine basically owned most of the Clover Hill area. He obtained it from his brother John Raine who defaulted on his loans. Later he sold the property to a Colonel Samuel D. McDearmon
. Since his acquisition it became the county seat and he surveyed 30 acres (12.1 ha) of the hamlet
. He designated 2 acre (0.809372 ha) to be used by the new county to build a courthouse and other government buildings. The courthouse was to be built across the Stage Road from the Clover Hill Tavern. The jail was to be built behind the courthouse. McDearmon divided the remaining land surrounding the courthouse into 1 acre (0.404686 ha) lots. He felt that with Clover Hills' new status as a county seat he would find professional people ready and willing to purchase the lots. His hopes were later dashed in 1854 as the train depot stopped three miles (5 km) west in Appomattox, Virginia
. The American Civil War put the nails in the coffin. The district once known as Clover Hill and later renamed to Appomattox Court House continued to decline as businesses moved to the area of the Appomattox Station
.
The village contained 30 acres (12.1 ha) of the original Patteson's Clover Hill Tavern property of some 200 acres (80.9 ha). Raine provided the Clover Hill Tavern
for meeting space for the organization of the new county in May of 1845 and naming the township
"Clover Hill."
The county records show:
According to a Union
writer at the time of the American Civil War
the village consisted of about "five houses, a tavern, and a courthouse — all on one street that was boarded up at one end to keep the cows out." There were actually more dwellings in this obscure hamlet, some of which were off the main village street. There were a large number of cabins and out-buildings. The hamlet had two stores, law offices, a saddler, wheelwright, three blacksmiths, and other businesses. A tavern later had been built by John Raine in 1848 that became the celebrated McLean house. Many rural counties in the Southern States
had county seat
s whose names were formed by adding court house (two words) to the name of the county, hence the village name became Appomattox Court House.
It presently has a couple of dozen restored buildings. Some of the notable buildings are the Peers House
, McLean House, New County Jail
, Jones Law Office
, Clover Hill Tavern
, Woodson Law Office
, Bocock-Isbell House
, Mariah Wright House
, Plunkett-Meeks Store
, Sweeney-Conner Cabin
, Charles Sweeney Cabin
, Sweeney Prizery
and the Old Appomattox Court House
. There are also various ruins
and cemeteries
within the village. At the time of the Act of Congress that authorized the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in 1935 the existing buildings were the Clover Hill Tavern, the Tavern guest house and kitchen, the Woodson Law office structure, the Plunkett-Meeks Store, the Bocock-Isbell House, and several residences outside the village limits.
There are several markers throughout the field of the village that show points of interest within the Park. Some of these are the sites of General Lee's and General Grant's headquarters; the site of the apple tree where General Lee waited for General Grant's reply on the morning of April 9, 1865; the line of General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
's brigade drawn up to receive the Confederate arms on April 12, 1865; and the position of the last cannon fired by the Confederate artillery on the morning of April 9, 1865. There is also a monument and two tablets that was erected by North Carolina state describing the last engagement of the armies this same morning.
General George Armstrong Custer
of Little Bighorn
fame received a flag of truce at the village of "Appomattox Court House" that brought about the discontinuance of hostilities of the Confederate and the Union armies leading to the surrender meeting between General Lee and General Grant at the McLean House.
The program for the development of the Park calls for a partial restoration of Clover Hill and the hamlet
of Appomattox Court House to its appearance in April 1865. This will constitute for the people of the United States a memorial to the termination of the American Civil War. World War II stopped temporarily the development of the Park, however it was resumed in 1947. Some structures in the village that were built after 1865 were taken down that did not represent a true picture of the end of the Civil War. In 1954 Virginia State Route 24
was relocated south of the Appomattox Court House Historical Park so the National Park Service could restore the Richmond-Lynchburg stage road to its 1865 appearance. Also this would allow the National Park Service to do archeological exploration at the original Appomattox Court House building.
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
of original and reconstructed nineteenth century buildings. It was signed into law August 3, 1935. The village was made a national monument in 1940 and a national historical park in 1954. It is located three miles (5 km) east of Appomattox
Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Appomattox County.Appomattox is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the location of the Appomattox Station
Appomattox Station
Appomattox Station is located in the town of Appomattox, Virginia. Before the Civil War, the railroad , bypassed Appomattox Court House village which was built southeast about three miles in 1850...
and the "new" Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
. It is in the center of the state about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. The village is famous as the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House and containing the house of Wilmer McLean
Wilmer McLean
Wilmer McLean was a wholesale grocer from Virginia. It is said that the American Civil War started in his front yard and ended in his front parlor....
, where the surrender of the Confederate Army
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
under Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
to Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
commander Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
took place on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The historical park was described in 1989 as having an area of 1325 acres (536.2 ha).
History of the village
The antebellum village started out as "Clover Hill" named after its oldest existing structure, the Clover Hill Tavern (c. 1819). The village was a stagecoachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop along the Richmond-Lynchburg stage road. It was the site of organizational meetings and in 1845 the village of Clover Hill was chosen as the new county seat of Appomattox. The activity in Clover Hill centered around Clover Hill Tavern. The tavern provided lodging to travelers. Fresh horses for the stage line were also provided at the stop, which had been done since the tavern was built.
When Appomattox County was established by an Act on February 8, 1845, Clover Hill village became the county seat. It was parts of Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte, and Campbell Counties. The jurisdiction took its name from the headwaters that emanate there, the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
. Early Virginians believe the name Appomattox came from an Indian tribe called Apumetec.
From about 1842 Hugh Raine basically owned most of the Clover Hill area. He obtained it from his brother John Raine who defaulted on his loans. Later he sold the property to a Colonel Samuel D. McDearmon
Samuel D. McDearmon
Samuel Daniel McDearmon , also known as Samuel D. McDearmon, was a Confederate army officer during the American Civil War. He held a number of political and government offices, and played a significant role in the development of Appomattox and Appomattox Court House, Virginia.-Biography:McDearmon...
. Since his acquisition it became the county seat and he surveyed 30 acres (12.1 ha) of the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
. He designated 2 acre (0.809372 ha) to be used by the new county to build a courthouse and other government buildings. The courthouse was to be built across the Stage Road from the Clover Hill Tavern. The jail was to be built behind the courthouse. McDearmon divided the remaining land surrounding the courthouse into 1 acre (0.404686 ha) lots. He felt that with Clover Hills' new status as a county seat he would find professional people ready and willing to purchase the lots. His hopes were later dashed in 1854 as the train depot stopped three miles (5 km) west in Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Appomattox County.Appomattox is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The American Civil War put the nails in the coffin. The district once known as Clover Hill and later renamed to Appomattox Court House continued to decline as businesses moved to the area of the Appomattox Station
Appomattox Station
Appomattox Station is located in the town of Appomattox, Virginia. Before the Civil War, the railroad , bypassed Appomattox Court House village which was built southeast about three miles in 1850...
.
The village contained 30 acres (12.1 ha) of the original Patteson's Clover Hill Tavern property of some 200 acres (80.9 ha). Raine provided the Clover Hill Tavern
Clover Hill Tavern
The Clover Hill Tavern with its guest house and slave quarters are structures within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. They were registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
for meeting space for the organization of the new county in May of 1845 and naming the township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
"Clover Hill."
The county records show:
- "And be it further enacted, that not exceeding thirthy acres of land, now occupied by Captain John Raine, in the now county of Prince Edward, lying on the stage road leading from or through said county to the town of Lynchburg, at the place called and known as Clover Hill, the proposed seat of justice for the said new county, so soon as the same shall be laid off into lots, with convenient streets and alleys, with back and cross streets if necessary, shall be and the same is hereby established a town by the name of Clover Hill."
According to a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
writer at the time of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the village consisted of about "five houses, a tavern, and a courthouse — all on one street that was boarded up at one end to keep the cows out." There were actually more dwellings in this obscure hamlet, some of which were off the main village street. There were a large number of cabins and out-buildings. The hamlet had two stores, law offices, a saddler, wheelwright, three blacksmiths, and other businesses. A tavern later had been built by John Raine in 1848 that became the celebrated McLean house. Many rural counties in the Southern States
Southern States
Southern States may refer to:*Southern United States*Southern States Cooperative*The independent states of the South in the North-South divide*The independent states of the Southern hemisphere...
had county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s whose names were formed by adding court house (two words) to the name of the county, hence the village name became Appomattox Court House.
It presently has a couple of dozen restored buildings. Some of the notable buildings are the Peers House
Peers House
The Peers House is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, McLean House, New County Jail
New County Jail
The New County Jail is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Jones Law Office
Jones Law Office
The Jones Law Office, also known as the Lorenzo D. Kelly House, is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. In the nineteenth century the structure was owned by Kelly and used as a single family house...
, Clover Hill Tavern
Clover Hill Tavern
The Clover Hill Tavern with its guest house and slave quarters are structures within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. They were registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Woodson Law Office
Woodson Law Office
The Woodson Law Office is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was originally built by Samuel McDearmon in 1854 and rented by Woodson for his law office until he purchased it a couple of years later...
, Bocock-Isbell House
Bocock-Isbell House
The Bocock-Isbell House is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Mariah Wright House
Mariah Wright House
The Mariah Wright house is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Plunkett-Meeks Store
Plunkett-Meeks Store
The Plunkett-Meeks Store is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Sweeney-Conner Cabin
Sweeney-Conner Cabin
The Sweeney-Conner cabin is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Charles Sweeney Cabin
Charles Sweeney Cabin
The Charles Sweeney Cabin is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
, Sweeney Prizery
Sweeney Prizery
The Sweeney Prizery is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989.-History:...
and the Old Appomattox Court House
Old Appomattox Court House
The Old Appomattox Court House is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It was registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on June 26, 1989...
. There are also various ruins
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park ruins
The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park ruins are part of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.-Old county jail:...
and cemeteries
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park cemeteries
The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park cemeteries are part of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1989.-Robinson cemetery:...
within the village. At the time of the Act of Congress that authorized the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in 1935 the existing buildings were the Clover Hill Tavern, the Tavern guest house and kitchen, the Woodson Law office structure, the Plunkett-Meeks Store, the Bocock-Isbell House, and several residences outside the village limits.
There are several markers throughout the field of the village that show points of interest within the Park. Some of these are the sites of General Lee's and General Grant's headquarters; the site of the apple tree where General Lee waited for General Grant's reply on the morning of April 9, 1865; the line of General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Joshua Chamberlain
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , born as Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain, was an American college professor from the State of Maine, who volunteered during the American Civil War to join the Union Army...
's brigade drawn up to receive the Confederate arms on April 12, 1865; and the position of the last cannon fired by the Confederate artillery on the morning of April 9, 1865. There is also a monument and two tablets that was erected by North Carolina state describing the last engagement of the armies this same morning.
General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
of Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
fame received a flag of truce at the village of "Appomattox Court House" that brought about the discontinuance of hostilities of the Confederate and the Union armies leading to the surrender meeting between General Lee and General Grant at the McLean House.
The program for the development of the Park calls for a partial restoration of Clover Hill and the hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
of Appomattox Court House to its appearance in April 1865. This will constitute for the people of the United States a memorial to the termination of the American Civil War. World War II stopped temporarily the development of the Park, however it was resumed in 1947. Some structures in the village that were built after 1865 were taken down that did not represent a true picture of the end of the Civil War. In 1954 Virginia State Route 24
Virginia State Route 24
Virginia State Route 24 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 221 and SR 116 in Roanoke east to US 60 in Mt. Rush. SR 24 connects Roanoke with several small communities in southern Bedford County and central Campbell County...
was relocated south of the Appomattox Court House Historical Park so the National Park Service could restore the Richmond-Lynchburg stage road to its 1865 appearance. Also this would allow the National Park Service to do archeological exploration at the original Appomattox Court House building.
See also
- American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
- Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
- Origins of the American Civil WarOrigins of the American Civil WarThe main explanation for the origins of the American Civil War is slavery, especially Southern anger at the attempts by Northern antislavery political forces to block the expansion of slavery into the western territories...
- Conclusion of the American Civil WarConclusion of the American Civil WarThis is a timeline of the conclusion of the American Civil War which includes important battles, skirmishes, raids and other events of 1865. These led to additional Confederate surrenders, key Confederate captures, and disbandments of Confederate military units that occurred after Gen. Robert E...
- Turning point of the American Civil WarTurning point of the American Civil WarThere is widespread disagreement over the turning point of the American Civil War. The idea of a turning point is an event after which most observers would agree that the eventual outcome was inevitable. While the Battle of Gettysburg is the most widely cited , there are several other arguable...
- Military of the Confederate States of AmericaMilitary of the Confederate States of AmericaThe Military of the Confederate States of America comprised three branches:* Confederate States Army - The Confederate States Army the land-based military operations...
External links
- Appomattox Court House buildings
- A Brief History of Appomattox County
- National Park Service, Appomattox Court House
- Appomattox Court House National Historic Park — Spotlight America
- Road to Appomattox PowerPoint slide show Civil-War-Journeys.org
- Civil War Surrender Furniture at the National Museum of American History