National Register of Historic Places

Petersburg National Battlefield

Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000831

About this property

Petersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service unit preserving sites related to the American Civil War Siege of Petersburg (1864–65). The battlefield is near the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and includes outlying components in Hopewell, Prince George County, and Dinwiddie County. Over 140,000 people visit the park annually. Petersburg National Battlefield is composed of three major units and an additional managed component. === Eastern Front Visitor Center and Park Tour Road === Located off Virginia Route 36 east of Petersburg, the Eastern Front Visitor Center is the main visitor contact station for the Battlefield. Here, visitors can view exhibits and movies about the Siege of Petersburg as well as view Battery #5, an important early site in the Siege. From the Visitor Center, the park tour begins. The route runs from Virginia Route 36 to US Route 301. Sites on the tour include Fort Stedman and The Crater. Located in Dinwiddie County about 14 miles (23 km) southwest of downtown Petersburg, this unit contains the site of the Battle of Five Forks, which destroyed a sizable portion of the remaining Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Sometimes called the "Waterloo of the Confederacy", Five Forks helped set in motion a series of events that led to Robert E. Lee's subsequent surrender at Appomattox Court House. Sited next to the James River in Hopewell, City Point served as a major command and logistics hub for the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg. It is located in the City Point Historic District. The 8.72-acre (3.53 ha) Poplar Grove National Cemetery is administered by Petersburg National Battlefield. Established as Petersburg National Military Park on 1926-07-03. Transferred from the War Department on 1933-08-10. Redesignated as Petersburg National Battlefield on 1962-08-24. Added to the National Register of Historic Places on 1966-10-15. Richmond National Battlefield Park, administering areas related to the Siege of Petersburg which are north of the James River and Appomattox River. The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior. Official NPS website: Petersburg National Battlefield

Location

Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia
37.23178, -77.36564

Categories

MILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Blandford Cemetery
Listed
0.9 mi
Blandford Church
Civil War
1.3 mi
People's Memorial Cemetery
Civil War
1.4 mi
Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Boundary Increase II)
Listed
1.8 mi
Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
1.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Steadman Counterattack (March 25, 1865)
1865Civil War
0.4 mi
Fort Stedman — Confederate Assault (March 25, 1865)
1865Civil War
0.4 mi
Gordon's Retreat from Fort Stedman (Mar 25)
1865Civil War
0.7 mi
Fort Stedman — Union Counterattack (March 25 1865)
1865Civil War
0.9 mi
Fort Stedman — Initial Confederate Breakthrough (March 25 1865)
1865Civil War
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Petersburg National Battlefield listed on the National Register?

Petersburg National Battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Petersburg National Battlefield?

Petersburg National Battlefield is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Petersburg National Battlefield?

The period of significance for Petersburg National Battlefield is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Petersburg National Battlefield?

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