Richmond National Battlefield Park

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Richmond National Battlefield Park

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The official Facebook site for Richmond National Battlefield Park. Welcome to the Richmond National Battlefield Park page. Department of Interior.

We hope this will become a place where fans feel comfortable sharing information and experiences about Richmond National Battlefield Park with one another. While this is an open forum, it is also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments and wall posts clean. Please be considerate of other fan's opinions. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here. If you do not comply, your message will be removed. We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions, nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Such posts and/or links are subject to deletion. People who continue to post such content and/or links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. We do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. Posting of external links on this site that are intended as advertising (or to drive traffic to websites unrelated to Richmond National Battlefield Park or do not contribute to dialog and discussions about Richmond National Battlefield Park may be deleted. People who continue to post such links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. External links do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. National Park Service or the U.S.

10/14/2026

A MODEL OPERATION.
One of the many historic sites comprising Richmond National Battlefield Park is the Chimborazo Visitor Center and Medical Museum. It was the site of one of the largest Confederate hospitals in operation during the Civil War. Though the many buildings that once made up the hospital complex are long gone, inside the museum is a detailed scale model that depicts many of these structures. The model gives visitors the ability to visualize the hospital’s layout as it appeared in the 1860’s. Maintaining this important recourse is imperative to our ability to tell the story of what was once here on Chimborazo Hill.

Seen here, a park service museum technician and objects conservator are busy cleaning the Chimborazo model. It is a slow and painstaking process of removing dust and other sediments that may have collected over time. Through this delicate work, these staff members are ensuring the quality of this very valuable resource, as well as its continued use.

[Images: Chimborazo model conservation, NPS]

10/09/2026

Freeman Fridays.
Before the establishment of Richmond National Battlefield Park, historian Douglas Southall Freeman led an effort to share Richmond’s Civil War stories with bronze tablets installed at significant roadside locations. Throughout the 1920s, Freeman and his associates placed 58 “Freeman markers” around the Richmond area.

Marker 7: THE WATT HOUSE
“Entrenched in three lines on this plateau, the right wing of McClellan's army, withdrawn from Beaver Dam Creek, resisted Confederate attacks on June 27, 1862 until driven back at nightfall by a general assault.”

[Image: The Watt House at Gaines' Mill Battlefield, and the Watt House Freeman Marker, NPS]

10/01/2026

Preservation Update!

This spring and summer the park has had specialists repairing the plaster work inside the Shelton House. This was a major step in restoring the interior of the house. One small segment was left exposed to view the original construction materials.

The park has also added a temporary exhibit about the restoration process, archaeology, and architectural features of the home.

The house is open at special times through the end of October. Make sure to take advantage of the chance to see the progress!

[Images: Interior of the Shelton House at Rural Plains and Exhibit inside the Shelton House at Rural Plains, NPS]

09/29/2026

Ever leave something behind?
During the U.S. Army’s attack on the Confederate lines at New Market Heights on September 29, 1864, the defenders quickly left their camp to man the trenches.

Private Orlando Hanks of the 1st Texas was carrying a pot of sweet potatoes when he heard the commotion. The Confederates retreated in a hurry, and Hanks wrote, "I carried my pot of potatoes. I had not time to eat them, and less appetite. Likewise I left them sitting there and they are there now as far as I know."

Today a Civil War Trails marker notes the site of the battle at the Capital Trail’s Four Mile Creek Trailhead. Let us know if you find a pot of potatoes on the battlefield.

(NPS photo)

09/27/2026

MEDALS OF HONOR AT FORT HARRISON.
President Abraham Lincoln created the Medal of Honor on December 21, 1861 to recognize Naval personnel who distinguished themselves by gallantry. Later on July 12, 1862, Army servicemen were made eligible for the medal. Criteria have changed over the years for the medal, as has its design.

Acts of valor and bravery were recognized, sometimes years after the fact. At Gettysburg, 63 men earned the Medal of Honor, at Antietam 20. During the battles around Richmond on September 29 and 30, 1864, 42 men earned the medal, including 14 African American soldiers. Collectively known as the battles of Chaffin’s Bluff, the battles of Fort Harrison and New Market Heights occurred southeast of Richmond, and resulted in the capture of some of the city’s outer defenses.

Here are some of the citations for the men who earned the medal that day in the capture of Fort Harrison:

-Cecil Clay of the 58th Pennsylvania: “Led his regiment in the charge, carrying the colors of another regiment, and when severely wounded in the right arm, incurring loss of same, he shifted the colors to the left hand, which also became disabled by a gunshot wound.”

-William Graul of the 188th Pennsylvania: “First to plant the colors of his State on the fortifications.”

-Charles Blucher of the same regiment: “Planted first national colors on the fortifications.”

-Franklin Johndro of the 118th New York captured 40 Confederate soldiers.

Today you can walk the trail at Fort Harrison, stand where these events occurred, and ponder the sacrifices made.

[Image: Franklin Johndro, Library of Congress]

09/22/2026

“Chimborazo: What’s In Our Own Backyard?” Part 4
Richmond National Battlefield Park shares space at Chimborazo Park with a number of monuments, markers, and other points of interest outside of the Civil War Medical Museum. Among the notable sights at Chimborazo is the roadside highway marker noting “Richmond’s Civil War Hospitals.”

Marker SA-89 reads: “During the Civil War, overwhelming numbers of sick and wounded soldiers came to Richmond seeing treatment at one of the city’s dozens of Confederate medical facilities, the best known of which was Chimborazo Hospital, established on this site in 1861. Some of the hospitals were purpose-built, while others operated in converted churches, warehouses, and hotels. Families often took in soldiers to help ease overcrowding. Many hospitals had matrons: women who mixed administrative supervision with patient care. Juliet Hopkins, Phoebe Pember, and Sally Tompkins were among the most notable women who gained distinction through their hard work caring for soldiers.”

The roadside signs are created and maintained by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. According to its website, the Highway Marker Program “identifies and documents Virginia’s significant historical persons, events, and places. Our focus is on educating the public and providing accurate historical information, rather than on honoring, memorializing, or commemorating individuals or events. These markers, placed along state highways and roads, serve as a valuable resource for residents and visitors alike, providing a deeper understanding of the state’s rich history and cultural heritage.”

[Images: Highway markers at Chimborazo Park, NPS]

09/18/2026

FREEMAN FRIDAYS.
Before the establishment of Richmond National Battlefield Park, historian Douglas Southall Freeman led an effort to share Richmond’s Civil War stories with bronze tablets installed at significant roadside locations. Throughout the 1920s, Freeman and his associates placed 58 “Freeman markers” around the Richmond area.

Marker #6: NEW COLD HARBOR
“Around this crossroads is bloody ground. To the right is the field of Gaines' Mill or First Cold Harbor, fought June 27, 1862, with 14,800 casualties. To the left is Second Cold Harbor, near which 17,00 fell, May 30 - June 12, 1864.”

[Image: New Cold Harbor Freeman Marker, NPS]

09/15/2026

Public Input Open House: White-tailed Deer Management Plan for Richmond National Battlefield Park.

The National Park Service is in the early stages of developing a management plan for white-tailed deer in Richmond National Battlefield Park in the counties surrounding Richmond, Virginia.

NPS will host a public meeting at the Varina Public Library, located at 1875 New Market Road in Henrico, VA, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. EDT. The open house will provide an opportunity to learn about deer-related impacts on the park, to discuss this information with the NPS team, and to provide written comments. Since this is an open house, there will be no formal presentation or recording, and attendees are welcome to arrive at any time between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT.
More information here:
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=787D4184-9A9F-BDB9-259BF33BB2740DBF

[Image: Deer at Richmond National Battlefield Park, NPS]

09/14/2026

Reminder! We offer battlefield orientation talks at Cold Harbor Wednesday through Sunday.
15-minute battlefield orientation talks are led by a park ranger at the Cold Harbor visitor center at 11am and 1pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
Battlefield introduction talks begin at the Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center, 5515 Anderson-Wright Drive, Mechanicsville VA 23111.

[Image: Tour at Cold Harbor, NPS photo]

09/12/2026

MALVERN HILL BATTLEFIELD TOUR.
On Saturday, September 26, a park ranger from Richmond National Battlefield Park will offer a guided walking tour of the Malvern Hill Battlefield from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

This 90-minute tour will offer an overview of the July 1, 1862 battle that marked the end of the Seven Days Battles and whose result prompted Abraham Lincoln to compose the Emancipation Proclamation.

The tour will cover about a mile-and-a-half of uneven ground. Wear appropriate shoes for the terrain and clothing for the weather, and bringing water to stay hydrated is recommended. Pit toilet facilities are available at the Malvern Hill battlefield site.

Meet your guide at the Malvern Hill Battlefield parking area at 9175 Willis Church Road Richmond, VA 23231.

Address

Richmond, VA
23223

Telephone

+18042261981

Website

http://www.nps.gov/rich

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