| Richmond National Battlefield Park | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Union gun position at Malvern Hill | |
  | |
| Location | Richmond, Hanover County, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA |
| Nearest city | Richmond, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°25′45″N 77°22′25″W / 37.42917°N 77.37361°WCoordinates: 37°25′45″N 77°22′25″W / 37.42917°N 77.37361°W |
| Area |
7,307 acres (2,957 ha) 773.03 acres (312.83 ha) federal |
| Established | March 2, 1936 |
| Visitors | 68,438 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Richmond National Battlefield Park commemorates more than 30 American Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia, which served as the capital of the Confederate States of America for the majority of the war. The park is focused around the home front within the city, defensive fortifications surrounding the city, as well as a number military actions taken in an attempt to capture or defend the city, including the Seven Days Battles of 1862, battles of the Overland Campaign of 1864, and the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of 1864-65. Its various sites are spread across Richmond, Hanover County, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County.
Administrative history[]
The national battlefield park was authorized on March 2, 1936. Today, over 68,000 people visit the park yearly. As with all historical areas administered by the National Park Service,[citation needed] it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Park units[]
The park consists of 13 units/sites:[1][2][3] Within the city of Richmond, and with significance covering the span of the war, are:
- Tredegar Iron Works, serving as the main visitors center and museum
- Chimborazo Hospital, which was the Confederacy's largest wartime hospital camp,
Sites of battles and significance during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days Battles:
- Chicakhominy Bluffs, one of the defensive works overlooking the Chickahominy River.
- Drewry's Bluff, a defensive battery in Chesterfield County overlooking the James River
- Beaver Dam Creek, in Hanover County
- Gaines' Mill, in Hanover County
- Glendale, in Henrico County
- Malvern Hill, in Henrico County
Sites relating to the Overland Campaign of 1864 include:
- Rural Plains (aka Shelton House) and area of Totopotomoy Creek, in Hanover County
- Cold Harbor, in Hanover County
Sites relating to the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of 1864-65 include:
- New Market Heights, site of 14 Medals of Honor for United States Colored Troops, in Henrico County
- Fort Harrison, in Henrico County
- Parker's Battery, a fortification along the Howlett Line in Chesterfield County.
See also[]
- Petersburg National Battlefield, covering southern portions of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign.
- Richmond National Cemetery, located at the site of the Battle of Seven Pines
- Seven Pines National Cemetery, located at the site of the Battle of Seven Pines
- Glendale National Cemetery, located at the site of the Battle of Glendale
- Fort Harrison National Cemetery
References[]
- ↑ "Ceremony Marking Transfer of Historic Rural Plains to the National Park Service". National Park Service. July 24, 2006. http://www.nps.gov/rich/parknews/rural-plains-transfer.htm. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
- ↑ "Address List". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/rich/planyourvisit/address-list.htm. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
- ↑ "Battlefield Homepage - Plan Your visit". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/rich/planyourvisit/index.htm.
- The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond National Battlefield Park. |
- Official NPS website: Richmond National Battlefield Park
- Richmond, Virginia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrID=10892
The original article can be found at Richmond National Battlefield Park and the edit history here.