D.C. TO RICHMOND SOUTHEAST HIGH SPEED RAIL

ARCHITECTURAL RECONNAISSANCE 

SURVEY, FBHA AND HAXR SEGMENTS 

ΈSEGMENTS 8 AND 9Ή

Rͳ7
June 2016

Architectural Reconnaissance Survey for the

Washington, D.C. to Richmond, Virginia High

Speed Rail Project  

Fredericksburg to Hamilton (FBHA) and Hamilton to Crossroads (HAXR)

Segments, Spotsylvania County  
Architectural Reconnaissance Survey for the Washington, D.C. 

to Richmond, Virginia High Speed Rail Project

Fredericksburg to Hamilton (FBHA) and Hamilton to 

Crossroads (HAXR) Segments,

Spotsylvania County

by

Emily K. Anderson and Heather D. Staton

Prepared for

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

600 E. Main Street, Suite 2102 

Richmond, Virginia 23219 

Prepared by

DC2RVA Project Team

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000 

Richmond, Virginia 23219 

June 2016 

 June 22, 2016

Kerri S. Barile, Principal Investigator Date 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail i Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

ABSTRACT 

Dovetail Cultural Resource Group (Dovetail), on behalf of the Virginia Department of Rail and 

Public Transportation (DRPT), conducted a reconnaissance-level architectural survey of the 

Fredericksburg to Hamilton (FBHA) and Hamilton to Crossroads (HAXR) segments of the 

Washington, D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) project. The proposed 

Project is being completed under the auspices of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in 

conjunction with DRPT. Because of FRA’s involvement, the undertaking is required to comply 

with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The project is being completed as Virginia Department of 

Historic Resources (DHR) File Review #2014-0666. 

The DC2RVA corridor is divided into 22 segments and this document focuses on the FBHA and 

HAXR segments only. This report includes background data that will place each recorded 

resource within context and the results of fieldwork and National Register of Historic Places 

(NRHP) evaluations for all architectural resources identified within the FBHA and HAXR 

segments. All other segments will be discussed in separate reports. For the purposes of the 

current report, the architectural area of potential effects (APE) is defined as extending 500 feet 

on either side of the center of the existing railroad alignment except in urban areas, where the 

APE is limited to one city block to either side of the existing rail centerline, plus any areas where 

alterations to a resource’s setting and feeling are likely to occur as a result of the Project. This 

report details the findings of buildings, objects, and districts over 48 years of age within the 

APE (the age limit was developed to correspond with the anticipated 2017 project completion 

date). All structures that meet the NRHP 50-year age criterion within the architectural APE of 

the DC2RVA corridor will be included in a subsequent report spanning the entire 123-mile 

corridor. The results of the archaeological survey are also discussed in separate reports.

In total, the DC2RVA Project Team surveyed 23 historic architectural resources within the 

architectural APE in the FBHA and HAXR segments. Of these, four previously recorded and 19 

newly recorded historic resources were identified. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania 

Battlefields National Military Park (111-0147) was listed in the NRHP in 1966 and in the 

Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) in 1973. Additionally, La Vue, also known as Prospect View 

(088-0039), was listed in the VLR in 1993 and in the NRHP in 1994. The DC2RVA Project Team 

recommends that these two resources retain sufficient integrity and significance and should 

remain eligible for and listed in the NRHP and the VLR. One resource, Slaughter Pen Farm 

(088-0254), is recommended potentially eligible under Criteria A and C. Two resources, the 

Meade Pyramid (088-0128) and the House at 9911 Benchmark Road (088-5647), are 

recommended potentially eligible under Criterion A. It is recommended that the remaining 

18 resources are not eligible for listing in the NRHP.

 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail ii Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ i

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... ii

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1-1 

1.1 Project Location .......................................................................................................................... 1-3

1.2 Project Description ..................................................................................................................... 1-6

2. HISTORIC CONTEXT ............................................................................................................... 2-1

2.1 REGIONAL HISTORY .............................................................................................................. 2-1

2.1.1 Anglo Settlement and the Establishment of Spotsylvania County and the 

City of Fredericksburg ............................................................................................................... 2-1

2.1.2 Early Industries and the Revolutionary War .......................................................... 2-3

2.1.3 The Antebellum Years ................................................................................................ 2-4

2.1.4 The Civil War ............................................................................................................... 2-5

2.1.4.1 First and Second Battles of Fredericksburg ............................................................. 2-5

2.1.4.2 Chancellorsville Campaign ........................................................................................ 2-6

2.1.4.3 Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse ............................................................................ 2-7

2.2 City of Fredericksburg ............................................................................................................... 2-8

2.2.1 Reconstruction and Growth ....................................................................................... 2-8

2.2.2 Into the Twentieth Century........................................................................................ 2-8

2.2.3 The New Dominion to Present .................................................................................. 2-9

2.3 Spotsylvania County ................................................................................................................. 2-9

2.3.1 Into the Twentieth Century........................................................................................ 2-9

2.3.2 World War I to World War II (1917–1945) ............................................................... 2-9

2.3.3 The New Dominion to Present .................................................................................. 2-9

3. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 3-1

4. BACKGROUND REVIEW ........................................................................................................ 4-1

4.1 Previous Surveys ........................................................................................................................ 4-1

4.2 Previously Recorded Cultural Resources ............................................................................... 4-2

5. RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 5-1
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail iii Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

5.1 Previously Recorded Resources ............................................................................................... 5-1

5.1.1 Previously Recommended Potentially Eligible/Eligible for, or 

Listed in, the NRHP ................................................................................................................. 5-10

5.1.2 Previously Not Evaluated Resources Recommended Potentially Eligible ....... 5-11

5.2 Newly Recorded Resources .................................................................................................... 5-14

5.2.1 Newly Recorded Resources Recommended Potentially Eligible ....................... 5-19

5.2.2 Newly Recorded Resources Recommended Not Eligible ................................. 5-20

6. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................... 6-1

7. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 7-1

APPENDIX A: BACKGROUND REVIEW TABLE ........................................................................... A-1

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 1-1: Overview of the SEHSR Corridor ........................................................................... 1-2

Figure 1-2: Overview of the DC2RVA Project Corridor ............................................................. 1-4

Figure 1-3: Overview of DC2RVA Project Segments Noting the FBHA (08) and 

HAXR (09) Segments .............................................................................................. 1-5

Figure 5-1: Detail of Project Segment FBHA .............................................................................. 5-3

Figure 5-2: Detail of Project Segment HAXR ............................................................................. 5-4

Figure 5-3: Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Battlefields National Military Park (111-0147) .. 5-5

Figure 5-4: Slaughter Pen Farm (088-0254) ................................................................................ 5-6

Figure 5-5: Previously Recorded Resources ................................................................................ 5-7

Figure 5-6: Previously Recorded Resources ................................................................................ 5-8

Figure 5-7: Previously Recorded Resources ................................................................................ 5-9

Figure 5-8: Overview of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields 

National Military Park (111-0147) ......................................................................... 5-10

Figure 5-9: La Vue (088-0039), East Elevation ......................................................................... 5-11

Figure 5-10: Slaughter Pen Farm (088-0254), Northeast Elevation .......................................... 5-12

Figure 5-11: The Meade Pyramid (088-0128), Southwest Oblique .......................................... 5-13

Figure 5-12: Newly Recorded Resources .................................................................................. 5-16

Figure 5-13: Newly Recorded Resources .................................................................................. 5-17

Figure 5-14: Newly Recorded Resources .................................................................................. 5-18

Figure 5-15: House at 9911 Benchmark Road (088-5467), Northwest Oblique ....................... 5-19
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail iv Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

LIST OF TABLES 

Table 5-1: Previously Recorded Resources Identified During the Current Survey ..................... 5-1

Table 5-2: Newly Recorded Resources Identified During the Current Survey ......................... 5-14

Table 6-1: Summary of Identified Resources and Recommendations......................................... 6-2

Table A-1: Previously Recorded Resources Within 0.5 Miles of the Architectural APE .......... A-1
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 1-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

INTRODUCTION 

Dovetail Cultural Resource Group (Dovetail), on behalf of the Virginia Department of Rail and 

Public Transportation (DRPT), conducted a reconnaissance-level architectural survey of the 

Fredericksburg to Hamilton (FBHA) and Hamilton to Crossroads (HAXR) segments of the 

Washington, D.C. to Richmond High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) project. In addition to the 

reconnaissance-level survey, this project includes a background review and historic context 

development for the FBHA and HAXR segments. The project is being completed as Virginia 

Department of Historic Resources (DHR) File #2014-0666. 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and DRPT propose passenger rail service and rail 

infrastructure improvements in the north-south travel corridor between Washington, D.C. and 

Richmond, VA. These passenger rail service and rail infrastructure improvements are 

collectively known as the DC2RVA project. The Project will deliver higher speed passenger rail 

service, increase passenger and freight rail capacity, and improve passenger rail service 

frequency and reliability in a corridor shared by growing volumes of passenger, commuter, and 

freight rail traffic, thereby providing a competitive option for travelers going between 

Washington, D.C. and Richmond and those traveling to and from adjacent connecting corridors. 

The Project is part of the larger Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) corridor (Figure 1-1), which 

extends from Washington, D.C. through Richmond, VA, and from Richmond continues east to 

Hampton Roads (Norfolk), VA and south to Raleigh, NC, and Charlotte, NC, and then 

continues west to Atlanta and south to Florida. The Project connects to the National Railroad 

Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Northeast Corridor (NEC) at Union Station in Washington, 

D.C. 

The purpose of the SEHSR program, as stated in the 2002 Tier I Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) completed for the full SEHSR corridor, is to provide a competitive 

transportation choice to travelers within the Washington, D.C. to Charlotte travel corridor. The 

purpose of the current Washington, D.C. to Richmond SEHSR project described here is to fulfill 

the purpose of the SEHSR Tier I EIS within this segment of the larger SEHSR corridor. The 

Project, by increasing rail capacity and improving travel times between Washington, D.C. and 

Richmond, will improve passenger train performance and reliability in the corridor, enabling 

intercity passenger rail to be a competitive transportation choice for travelers between 

Washington, D.C. and Richmond and beyond. 

Given FRA’s funding involvement and permitting through various other federal agencies, the 

DC2RVA project is required to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 

Act of 1966, as amended, and its implementing regulations under 36CFR800. Additionally, all 

cultural resource work was designed to comply with the Virginia Antiquities Act (Code of 

Virginia § 10.1-2300) and guidelines and regulations promulgated by the DHR as necessary. 

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SEHSR Corridor

Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic

State Plane Virginia North FIPS 4501 Feet

North American Datum of 1983

[ 0 40 80

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Basemap Source: 2014

ESRI World Light Gray Base

Figure 1-1

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Southeast High

Speed Rail (SEHSR)

Segment Status

Charlotte to

Atlanta

Tier I EIS

Washington

D.C. to

Richmond

Tier II EIS

Richmond to

Raleigh

Tier II EIS

Raleigh to

Charlotte

Richmond to

Hampton

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SEHSR

Extended

Feasibility Studies

Complete
INTRODUCTION 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 1-3 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

1.1 PROJECT LOCATION 

The Washington, D.C. to Richmond corridor spans 123 miles along an existing rail corridor 

owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) between Control Point RO (milepost [MP] CFP 110) in 

Arlington, VA to the CSXT A-Line and S-Line junction at MP A-11 in Centralia, VA 

(Chesterfield County) (Figure 1-2). For the purposes of engineering and environmental 

planning, the DC2RVA corridor has been subdivided into 22 segments that correspond with 

improvements and alternatives, and as such have been named and numbered from north to 

south (Figure 1-3). At the northern terminus in Arlington, VA, the Project limit ends at the 

southern approach to Long Bridge, a double-track rail bridge taking the rail corridor over the 

Potomac River; however, the northern terminus of Union Station in Washington, D.C. will be 

used for ridership and revenue forecasting, as well as service development planning within the 

Project corridor. The southern terminus in Centralia is the junction of two CSXT routes that 

begin in Richmond and rejoin approximately 11 miles south of the city. 

Additional segments of the Project include approximately 8.3 miles of the CSXT Peninsula 

Subdivision CA-Line from Beulah Road (MP CA-76.1) in Henrico County, VA to AM Junction 

in the City of Richmond, and the approximately 26-mile Buckingham Branch Railroad (BBR) 

from AM Junction to the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railway (RF&P) Crossing (MP 

CA-111.8) in Doswell, VA. 

Proposed improvements are along CSXT-owned track, generally parallel to the I-95 corridor 

between northern Virginia and Richmond. From north to south, the project travels through the 

following counties and cities: 

 Arlington County 

 City of Alexandria 

 Fairfax County 

 Prince William County 

 Stafford County 

 City of Fredericksburg 

 Spotsylvania County 

 Caroline County 

 Hanover County 

 Henrico County 

 City of Richmond 

 Chesterfield County 

In Arlington, the Project connects to existing CSXT track extending across the Potomac River on 

the Long Bridge into Washington, D.C. and Union Station, the southern terminus of Amtrak’s 

Northeast Corridor (NEC). At Centralia, the Project connects to both the Richmond to Raleigh 

segment of the SEHSR corridor and the Richmond to Hampton Roads segment of the SEHSR 

corridor. 

 
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DC2RVA Project

Corridor

Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic

State Plane Virginia North FIPS 4501 Feet

North American Datum of 1983

[ 0 7 14

Miles

Legend

DC2RVA Project

Corridor

Virginia Rail Lines

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RF&P

A-Line

Buckingham

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AM Junction

S-Line

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Arlington

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INTRODUCTION 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 1-6 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

The Washington, D.C. to Richmond segment is an integral part of the overall 

Washington, D.C. to Charlotte SEHSR corridor and provides a critical link between high speed 

intercity passenger service from Boston to Washington, D.C. and the southeastern United States. 

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

The DC2RVA project will include specific rail infrastructure improvements and service 

upgrades intended to improve the travel time, service frequency, and on-time performance of 

passenger trains operating between Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. Specific 

improvements to the existing rail infrastructure between Arlington, VA, and Centralia, VA 

include: 

 Corridor-wide upgrades to existing track and signal systems to achieve higher operating 

speeds, including curve realignments, higher-speed crossovers between tracks, passing 

sidings, and grade crossing improvements. 

 Corridor-wide improvements to train operating capacity to achieve higher passenger 

train service frequency and reliability, including an additional main track along most of 

the corridor, and additional controlled sidings, crossovers, yard bypasses and leads, and 

other capacity and reliability improvements at certain locations. 

 Station and platform improvements for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) 

stations. 

The Tier II EIS being completed for the Project will assess the environmental impacts of these 

improvements and identify ways to avoid, minimize, or otherwise mitigate such impacts. 

The Project may include locations for new or replacement intercity passenger stations on the 

Project corridor, and additional rail capacity and other improvements in the Richmond area, 

including on the CSXT Peninsula Subdivision from AM Junction in Richmond, VA (just north of 

Main Street Station) east to Beulah Road in Henrico County, and on the bypass areas around the 

town of Ashland, VA and the City of Fredericksburg, VA. 

Studies in support of the Project will address passenger and freight rail operations and service 

between Union Station in Washington, D.C. and Richmond and beyond, but the Project does 

not include physical improvements to the Long Bridge across the Potomac River or to rail 

infrastructure within Washington, D.C. Other projects will address improvements to the rail 

infrastructure north of Arlington and south of Centralia along the SEHSR corridor. 

1.3 CURRENT STUDY 

The current study included a reconnaissance architectural survey of the FBHA and HAXR 

segments of the DC2RVA corridor (Figure 1-3). The architectural survey was conducted to 

evaluate both previously recorded properties that have not been evaluated for the National 

Register of Historic Places (NRHP), as well as any unrecorded resource over 48 years in age (the 

age limit was developed to correspond to the anticipated 2017 project completion date). Any 

property in the area of potential effects (APE) that has been previously determined to be 

eligible, or is listed in, the NRHP was briefly reviewed to assure that the characteristics that 

rendered the property eligible are still intact. For the purposes of the current report, the 

architectural APE is defined as extending 500 feet on either side of the centerline of the existing 
INTRODUCTION 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 1-7 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

railroad alignment, except in urban areas, where the APE is limited to one city block to either 

side of the existing rail centerline, plus any areas where alterations to a resource’s setting and 

feeling are likely to occur as a result of the Project. All structures that meet the NRHP age 

criteria within the architectural APE of the DC2RVA corridor will be included in a subsequent 

report spanning the entire 123-mile corridor. In addition, the results of the archaeological 

survey are discussed in separate documents. 

Each resource was evaluated with regard to NRHP Criterion A, for its association with events 

that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; Criterion B, for its 

association with people significant in our nation’s history; Criterion C, for its embodiment of 

distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the 

work of a master, or possess high artistic values. As part of the current survey, these 

architectural resources were not evaluated under Criterion D for its potential to yield 

information important in history. Criteria considerations were taken into account only where 

necessary. 

The area within the Project APE was first reviewed through an architectural and historical 

background literature and records search at DHR. The APE was then visually inspected 

through a vehicular and pedestrian reconnaissance to identify buildings, objects, and districts 

over 48 years in age where a NRHP determination had not been made. Once identified, each 

resource was evaluated for architectural significance and historic and physical integrity. The 

resources were documented through written notes and digital photographs. The information 

obtained during the survey was then used to update or generate a new DHR Virginia Cultural 

Resource Information System (V-CRIS) form and to make recommendations on each resource’s 

NRHP potential. 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

HISTORIC CONTEXT 

As part of this undertaking, a historic context of each municipality within the APE was 

compiled. The FBHA and HAXR segments are located within one incorporated city and one 

county: the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County. Because this report discusses the 

architectural component of this project, only the historic period for both the City of 

Fredericksburg (Section 2.2) and Spotsylvania County (Section 2.3) are included below. The 

prehistoric context for these areas will appear in subsequent archaeological reports. 

The early histories of both the city and the county are similar; thus, they have been combined 

into a general regional history (Section 2.1), presented first. This is followed by a more specific 

history for both the city and the county. 

2.1 REGIONAL HISTORY 

2.1.1 Anglo Settlement and the Establishment of Spotsylvania County and the 

City of Fredericksburg 

There was little European settlement in the area until 1655, when the first land patent in the 

region was given to Margaret Brent for 1,000 acres (Felder 1982:3; Mansfield 1977:75). In 1666, 

Lawrence Smith and Robert Taliaferro patented 6,300 acres just south of Fredericksburg 

(Goolrick 1935). The Virginia House of Burgesses commissioned Smith to build a fort on this 

property in 1676 to encourage settlement in the area (Felder 1982:5). The fort was to be 

developed as a community for 250 people, garrisoned by soldiers and furnished with ample 

munitions to ward off any encroachers (Goolrick 1922:10; Mansfield 1977:2). Though Smith’s 

fort was originally conceived as a sort of “gateway” to the west, only a few temporary 

structures were built in the area, and no settlers moved there (Alvey 1978:2). The fort was 

disbanded by the House in 1682 (Mansfield 1977:2). 

The largest and most successful precursor of future settlement in the general region occurred in 

1714. Alexander Spotswood arrived in Virginia in 1710 to become the Lieutenant Governor. 

Spotswood quickly realized that the success of the colony lay in westward expansion, and he 

established two frontier forts in 1714 to achieve this goal. One fort was Christianna, located in 

what is today Brunswick County, southwest of Richmond. The second fort was located on a 

peninsula of the Rapidan River west of what is today Fredericksburg. The pentagonal fort was 

built and inhabited by a group of Germans from the Nassau-Siegen region. In honor of these 12 

families of Germans and Queen Anne of England, the fort was named Germanna (Barile 2004; 

Wayland 1989:10). Realizing the potential for the area to act as a frontier community, 

Spotswood brought over two additional groups of German indentured servants in 1717 and 

1719, and the population of the Germanna area grew to over 200 people (Barile 2004; Schurict 

1977:66–69). 

2
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

Prior to the founding of Fort Germanna, the only transportation routes in this area were the 

waterways and few forest paths created by Native Americans (VDOT 2002:2). The first 

European-based roadway in the area was a bridle path, ordered by the Virginia council in April 

1714 (Mansfield 1977; Pawlett 1977; VDOT 2002). The Germanna path was developed by the 

Fort Germanna settlers and led from the falls near the Leaseland (Fredericksburg) to the fort 

(Mansfield 1977:38). A few years later, a rolling road was built through this area (Mansfield 

1977; Pawlett 1977; VDOT 2002). The new road, appropriately called Mines Road, connected 

Germanna to Spotswood’s Tubal Iron Works and his newest enterprise, a wharf on Massaponax 

Run, located between the iron mines and the Leaseland (Quinn 1908:22). 

With the help of the German workers, and later African slaves, Spotswood’s iron business 

became the largest and most successful ironwork in Spotsylvania County, and indeed the 

Atlantic region in the first decades of the eighteenth century. The Spotsylvania Iron Works, as 

he called it, was located 13 miles east of Germanna on Pipe Dam Creek. Contemporaries named 

Spotswood the Tubal Cain of Virginia, thus his iron works became known as Tubal. The iron 

works included both the iron mines and the foundry (Goolrick 1935:7). The cast furnace was 

located at Massaponax, as well as storehouses, a tavern, and other businesses associated with 

the wharf. Although it is not known exactly when Spotswood’s furnace went into operation, 

advertisement of byproducts made at the furnace began by 1723 (Spotswood 1945:11). 

In 1720, Spotswood pushed the House to create Spotsylvania County with Germanna as the 

county seat (Felder 1982:13). Spotsylvania County was formed from what was Essex County. 

Essex County once contained the majority of northern Virginia, from Lancaster County on the 

east to the Blue Ridge Mountains on the west (Joyner 1999:13). The Virginia government 

allocated £500 to build a courthouse, church, prison, pillory, and stocks, and others who lived 

there built homes and other commercial buildings. The first session of court was held in the 

summer of 1722, and one of the first orders of business was to grant a license to John Finlason 

for a tavern. Finlason ran the tavern out of his home from 1722 until 1728 and hosted most of 

the incoming court officials during sessions at Germanna (Miller 1984). This is believed to be the 

first business in Spotsylvania County not owned or established by Alexander Spotswood. 

The county court at Germanna ran smoothly for the first few years, but several key officials and 

planters of Spotsylvania County repeatedly petitioned the House of Burgesses to move the 

county seat to a more convenient location. In 1728, the House finally addressed the issue and 

decided that a town should be formally created at the Leaseland. The town was to incorporate 

50 acres on the Rappahannock River and was to be renamed Fredericksburgh Town (Felder 

1982:33). 

In 1730, Spotswood was made Postmaster General of North America and the West Indies at a 

salary of £300 a year. The Virginia postal system was operated out of another Spotswoodfounded Spotsylvania community, aptly named New Post, located at the intersection of what 

are today Routes 2 and 17 south of Fredericksburg. By 1732, county residents had grown tired 

of traveling to Germanna for monthly court meetings. The county seat of Spotsylvania officially 

moved to Fredericksburg on October 1, 1732 for the convenience of all inhabitants and county 

officials. 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-3 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

2.1.2 Early Industries and the Revolutionary War 

Once the county seat of Spotsylvania officially moved to Fredericksburg a courthouse was 

begun in town, as well as a church, prison, and other governmental and commercial structures 

(Mansfield 1977:89). The town wharfs also provided the first public river docks in the area. 

Although Spotswood offered the use of his wharves at Massaponax to area residents for a fee, 

many began to ship from Fredericksburg in the 1730s to avoid the extra cost. Numerous 

warehouses developed around the Fredericksburg waterfront in the mid-eighteenth century to 

accommodate the new business, most of which were concentrated around what are today 

Sophia and Wolfe streets. 

During this same period, Spotsylvania County continued to be owned in large parcels by a 

handful of wealthy planters. Tobacco was the main cash crop. Like many Virginia counties, 

Spotsylvania was forced to diversify during the second half of the eighteenth century when the 

soils had become depleted by tobacco crops. “Tobacco was formerly planted to the exclusion of 

almost everything else; but within the last 30 years it has gradually given place to wheat and 

corn” (Martin 1835:280). Large plantations were divided into small farmsteads, and wheat and 

other grains became the agricultural staple. Accompanying this agricultural change, numerous 

new roads and industries were established at this time to accommodate the new crop needs. 

This included mills, warehouses, and bakeries at wharf locations and taverns and ferry/ford 

crossings at the major waterways. 

Throughout the 1730s and 1740s, Fredericksburg grew slowly as new businesses developed to 

cater to the courthouse and commerce crowds. As a testament to the developing tone of town 

use, it is estimated that there were almost an equal number of taverns/ordinaries and 

warehouses in the 1740s (Willis and Felder 1987:4). The growth trend continued in the 1750s, as 

the first land addition was made to the original 50-acre town to accommodate the influx of new 

inhabitants and businesses. Occupation slowly moved from the center near the wharves 

northward along Caroline Street. The Fielding Lewis Store, built in 1749, anchored the northern 

segment of town and offered goods on the main road out of town and on the way to William 

Thornton’s mills on the north side of the community (Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. 

[HFFI] 2005). The store, still standing, is considered to be one of the oldest retail buildings in the 

United States (HFFI 2005). 

By the late-eighteenth century, the region had solidly adopted the system of slave labor. Like 

many colonists, white residents wholeheartedly supported the Continental Congress and the 

move towards American Independence, but most whites believed this did not refer to slaves. By 

the time of the first American census in 1790, enslaved African Americans outnumbered whites 

(5,171 white, 6,081 slave, and 348 free black) (Coleman and Trice 1934). 

By the eve of the American Revolution, Fredericksburg was a successful shipping port town. 

However, inhabitants of Spotsylvania County again voiced their dissatisfaction about the 

location of the county seat. For many living on the western side of the county, travel into 

Fredericksburg was an arduous journey. In 1778, the county seat of Spotsylvania was moved 

from Fredericksburg to a site on the Po River near the center of the county. Regardless, the 

activity surrounding the wharves and the growing town population sustained Fredericksburg 

through the loss of the courthouse traffic. The town was incorporated in 1781, and the diversity 

of the population was reflected in the new businesses and organizations developed in the 1780s. 

This includes the establishment of the area’s first newspaper in 1787, The Virginia Herald and 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-4 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

Fredericksburg and Falmouth Advertiser, published by Timothy Green (Overcash and Plotkin 

1993). 

2.1.3 The Antebellum Years 

The period from the 1780s through the 1820s was marked by a dramatic increase in the shipping 

and milling industry in Fredericksburg and the nearby town of Falmouth. Whereas early 

shipping primarily concentrated on tobacco, by the end of the eighteenth century, soils in the 

area were completely depleted. Farmers turned to new crops to sustain the family plantations, 

primarily wheat. Wheat had numerous economic advantages over tobacco, especially for urban 

areas. Not only was it a successful crop for farmers and plantation owners, but processing of 

wheat required several more enterprises prior to shipment, including roads and wagons for 

transportation, warehouses for storage, mills for processing, and merchants for sales (Kulikoff 

1986). Also, the baking industry thrived as many marketers chose to ship baked goods as 

opposed to raw wheat flour. 

Grain mills and merchants’ warehouses were erected along the Rappahannock River. The 

Fredericksburg Canal carried the water necessary to propel the mills’ waterwheels. The 

warehouses held flour, tobacco, and later cotton awaiting shipment as well as imported 

consumer and other goods, and farmers, haulers, and watermen took use of the town’s inns and 

taverns. Falmouth and Fredericksburg’s exports in flour, which had reached their highest point 

in 1816 at 160,000 barrels, had been reported at 126,000 barrels in 1831. The export quantity 

ranked third in the state of Virginia, only behind Richmond and Alexandria (Johnson 1997:31). 

Throughout this time, the town of Fredericksburg continued to grow. Population of the urban 

area rose after the American Revolution as new industries and thus employment developed in 

town. In 1807, a devastating fire swept through downtown Fredericksburg that destroyed over 

200 buildings and left over 100 families homeless; about one-half of the town was destroyed 

(Alvey 1988). In actuality, there were at least five large-scale fires in Fredericksburg over a 25 

year period (1799, 1807, 1816, 1822, and 1823). Despite these catastrophes, the town was rebuilt 

albeit with better building materials. “By the mid-1820s, the combination of repeated fire, 

subdivision of downtown lots, and a concern for fire created a tightly packed core in 

Fredericksburg with virtually no eighteenth century fabric left, except at the periphery” 

(Stanton 1997:124). 

After the economic boom of the post-Revolutionary years, Spotsylvania fell into a slight 

economic decline after 1820 due to a decrease in American flour demand. New transportation 

methods such as the Erie Canal and later the expanding railroad system opened up new areas 

to attain food products. By switching to crop rotation and contour plowing; however, 

Spotsylvania farmers were able to retain a modicum of their previous production. 

Despite the flour export decrease after 1820, Fredericksburg continued to prosper as a port 

town. In 1822, it was made a postal center for distribution of all United States mail to five states, 

and goods from surrounding counties continued to be shipped from the busy wharves. 

Fluctuations in the national economy are directly reflected in the land tax records of 1824 and 

1825. After the Financial Panic of 1819, the early 1820s brought financial uncertainty to large 

sections of the country. Like previous and subsequent economic panics, the proceeding years 

brought about an economic depression. Costs for material goods and real estate skyrocketed. By 

1835, the slight economic slump of the 1820s receded. Fredericksburg had a population of over 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-5 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

3,000 people, including whites, free blacks, and slaves. There were five churches, over a dozen 

schools, and numerous other businesses such as taverns and merchants (Willis and Felder 

1987:6). Business continued to succeed over the next few decades. By 1840, the town exported 

over $4 million worth of goods annually. 

Labor within the urban area of Fredericksburg at this time comprised native whites, European 

immigrants, free blacks, and slaves, with enslaved African Americans making up the largest 

percentage of the area workforce. In 1850, for example, slaves made up one-half of the 

population (Stanton 1997:127), and with the exception of the very old and very young, the entire 

slave population were commercial or household laborers. Similarly, in Spotsylvania County 

enslaved Africans made up over half of the population in 1860—8,360 of the 16,076 inhabitants 

(Coleman and Trice 1934). Like most of this region, Spotsylvania County and the City of 

Fredericksburg were in a precarious position on the eve of the Civil War. In preparation for the 

war, it is reputed that the court records were wrapped in paper and buried in a wood box 

behind the courthouse. Most of the counties sent their records to Richmond for safe keeping, 

but those records were destroyed during the burning of the Confederate capital. As a result, 

almost all of Spotsylvania’s records were saved from destruction (Mansfield 1977:99–100). 

2.1.4 The Civil War 

2.1.4.1 First and Second Battles of Fredericksburg 

The First Battle of Fredericksburg was a disappointing and fruitless campaign that resulted in a 

major defeat for the new Union commander, Ambrose E. Burnside. The success of the campaign 

relied on the element of surprise, in hopes to avoid a confrontation with Lee at Fredericksburg. 

Burnside proposed a plan to expediently march into Falmouth by way of the Rappahannock 

River and then cross into Fredericksburg. Once there, travel to the Pamunkey River (where a 

new base of supply awaited) via the Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac Railroad (RF&P) 

would be relatively trouble-free (Marvel 1993:3). 

However, the Rappahannock River bridges had been burned at Fredericksburg, thus requiring 

the use of pontoon bridges. Unfortunately, the army’s pontoons remained on the Upper 

Potomac where they were last used. In spite of this, Union generals assured Burnside that the 

pontoons would be waiting for him and that it would take approximately three days. 

Disappointingly, their arrival was not punctual. The majority of the pontoons finally arrived 

November 27, 1862—about 10 days after Burnside had expected them. By this time, Lee had 

long suspected an attack on Fredericksburg. Burnside and his soldiers could no longer expect a 

lightly defended town and thereby a straightforward take over. The Union first crossed the 

Rappahannock on December 11. The majority would follow the next day (Marvel 1993:3–4). 

December 12, after laying artillery on Fredericksburg, Union soldiers poured over five pontoon 

bridges (built that day) while Lee strengthened his battle line along the ridge overlooking 

Rappahannock valley. On December 13, Burnside attacked the seven mile Confederate line at 

point one: below Fredericksburg, where “Stonewall” Jackson occupied the Confederate right; 

and point two: Marye’s Heights behind the town where James Longstreet’s corps held the 

position. Burnside ordered too small an attack and, despite a Union division’s accomplishment 

to break Jackson’s line, the Federal effort failed. Confederate troops held an advantageous 

position on the heights and had infantry literally behind a stone wall. During the night on 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-6 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

December 15, Burnside returned his troops back across the river ending the campaign (Willis 

and Felder 1993:52). 

Burnside made another attempt to cross the Rappahannock in January 1863. This quickly 

dissolved into the abortive “Mud March.” This, along with other failures, led to the replacement 

of General Burnside (Civil War Sites Advisory Commission [CWSAC] 2002). Interestingly, his 

replacement was the original choice for successor to General George B. McClellan, Major 

General Joseph Hooker (Marvel 1993:3). 

2.1.4.2 Chancellorsville Campaign 

As General Hooker replaced Burnside as the commander of the Union forces, he decided that a 

second frontal assault on Lee’s forces, entrenched in Fredericksburg, was unwise. Hooker 

decided that he would move his troops 25 miles upstream to cross the Rappahannock at Kelly’s 

Ford and move back east behind Lee’s troops to attack Lee on two fronts. He left General 

Sedgwick in command of a limited number of troops on the north side of the Rappahannock in 

Fredericksburg to distract Lee (Stackpole 1958:92–102). 

Taking a wide birth to the west, Union forces encountered extensive Confederate defensives at 

U.S. Ford, but Confederate forces retired from the river leaving Hooker in control of U.S. Ford 

without any losses on May 1, 1863. Lee received word of Hooker’s maneuver and decided to 

split his inferior forces and move the majority of his troops to the west, leaving only one-sixth of 

his force in Fredericksburg (Happel 1980:27). 

As Lee arrived at Chancellorsville on May 2, he decided to again split his forces and flank 

Hooker, who at this point was entrenched at a house called Chancellorsville above U.S. Ford. 

The reconnaissance for the flanking force, led by Jackson, discovered the Union weakness of 

that flank, resting on no natural obstacle or strong point. Jackson successfully attacked the 

Union right in the late afternoon but in the confusion and darkness of the night Jackson was 

fatally wounded by his own troops (Happel 1980:27–28; Stackpole 1958:230–255). 

As Jackson smashed through the Union right, Hooker urgently called Sedgwick to move west to 

bolster his forces at Chancellorsville. Sedgwick did so, moving through Fredericksburg in the 

Second Battle of Fredericksburg with resistance from General Jubal Early’s forces. However, 

Early was so undermanned that the taking of Fredericksburg, which was previously deemed 

impossible, was achieved with relative ease. Early moved his troops east several miles as 

Sedgwick moved through town and reoccupied Fredericksburg at Marye’s Heights the 

following day. Due to this maneuver, Sedgwick now found himself sandwiched between 

Confederate forces, just as Hooker had hoped to do to Lee with his flanking maneuver (Happel 

1980:28; Stackpole 1958:306–317). 

Sedgwick moved west towards Chancellorsville along Plank Road, modern-day Route 3, 

encountering little more than skirmishes until arriving in the vicinity of Salem Church. Since 

Hooker had failed to again engage the Confederate forces, General McLaws’ and later General 

Anderson’s divisions were dispatched from Chancellorsville to the east when Lee received 

word of Sedgwick’s movements. With McLaws’ forces occupying a ridge line, the Union forces 

attacked and eventually drove them back. By the afternoon of May 4, however, Anderson’s 

forces had positioned themselves to the south of Sedgwick and he was hemmed in on three 

sides (Happel 1980:29–35). Sedgwick received dispatch from Hooker the afternoon of May 4 

telling him that he was too far abreast to direct and that he should keep the safety of his troops 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-7 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

in mind. Sedgwick decided to hold his position and wait for the Confederate attack (Stackpole 

1958:339). 

Lee, having decided that Hooker was not going to move to reinforce Sedgwick, planned to 

drive Sedgwick north across the river. As Anderson’s troops got into position late in the day on 

May 4, the attack began with Early and Anderson forcing the Union troops north across Plank 

Road. Unfortunately, the Confederates took heavy casualties in this attack due to strong 

artillery support for the Federals (Stackpole 1958:342). 

Lee, in uncharacteristic fashion, ordered his first night attack of the war to drive Sedgwick 

across the river. This decision was driven by Lee’s concern that Sedgwick would be able to dig 

in overnight and they would have to fight the day’s battle all over again the next day. Sedgwick 

decided to cross the river and had a second bridge placed at Scott’s Ford, and by 2 to 3 a.m. on 

May 5 all of his troops had crossed the river and the Battle of Salem Church was completed 

(Stackpole 1958:342–344). 

At midnight the night of May 4–5, Hooker called his only council of war to determine whether 

to withdraw across the Rappahannock at Banks Ford. With three of the five officers in 

attendance, and the senior officers at that, voting to stay and go on the offensive, Hooker made 

the decision to cross the river. The crossing was completed in adverse weather conditions in the 

early morning hours of May 6 and the Battle of Chancellorsville came to a close. 

2.1.4.3 Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse 

In May 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Commander, had decided to open a new 

campaign against the Confederates. After two days of brutal fighting in the Wilderness and 

some 29,800 dead soldiers, Grant decided to attempt to position himself between Lee and 

Richmond by a move to Spotsylvania Court House (Rhea 1995). Anticipating Grant’s move, Lee 

also ordered his army to move to Spotsylvania. The future of both armies would be determined 

by who arrived first. 

It was Confederate General Richard Anderson who arrived first at Laurel Hill just minutes 

before Union Major General Gouveneur K. Warren and his troops (Rhea 1995:25). Met by heavy 

Confederate units, the Union Corps realized that breaching the hill was impossible and 

retreated, protecting themselves behind hastily constructed earthworks (Rhea 1995:26). While 

this battle raged, Brigadier General James Wilson’s Union cavalry entered the unprotected 

hamlet in the early morning hours and occupied Spotsylvania Courthouse (Rhea 1995:27). 

Anderson sent infantry to attack Wilson and the Court House from both sides. By the time they 

arrived, the Union troops had fled (Rhea 1995:28). 

The early morning lights of May 9 made visible the long Confederate line (Rhea 1995:30–31). 

This mighty line must have looked daunting to the Union Soldiers who were forced to take 

shelter in the field and woods. Union forces made several attempts to move forward and push 

through the Confederate line, but were unsuccessful in breaking Anderson’s army. 

It was not until May 12 that Grant was fully ready to advance with his plan. Starting at dawn, 

General George G. Meade and Grant ordered a full frontal attack on Lee’s troops. The muddy 

soil, close shooting range and long hours were just some of the factors why May 12 became 

known as one of the worst days of fighting during the entire war (Catton 1965:361). At the end 

of the day it was a small victory for the Union soldiers; only capturing a single Confederate 

infantry division and 20 guns (Catton 1965:362). Although May 12 was one of the bloodiest 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-8 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

battles in the war, fighting continued. For nine more days, Grant continued to put pressure on 

the Confederate lines, with little to no success. Grant lost an incredible 18,400 troops at the 

Battle at Spotsylvania Court House while Lee’s fatalities were around 10,200 (Rhea 1995:55). 

2.2 CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG 

As Fredericksburg historian Robert Howison (1898:2) wrote: “I feel bound, as is the manner of 

all veracious historians, to begin at the beginning. But where the beginning is, or ought to be, 

may be a serious question.” 

2.2.1 Reconstruction and Growth 

The Civil War decimated the physical and cultural fabric of the Fredericksburg area. Despite the 

destruction, area inhabitants remained in town and were determined to rebuild their lives and 

their homes. In addition to those who lived there before the war, the population of 

Fredericksburg grew greatly in the years just after the war. Emancipated slaves moved into 

town looking for employment, and white farmers looked to the area factories and commercial 

businesses for jobs since their farms were destroyed by Federal and Confederate troops. The 

town grew so rapidly and so large that Fredericksburg became a city in 1879 (Willis and Felder 

1987). 

Along with these changes, the daily operation of Fredericksburg changed during these decades 

from one reliant solely on the waterways to a rail-focused community. New roads were built to 

and from Fredericksburg for area farmers and merchants to deliver and receive goods on the 

railroad. Development sprawled from the commercial center to encompass new neighborhoods 

to the north and south of town, including Darbytown located south of the railroad tracks. 

2.2.2 Into the Twentieth Century 

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Fredericksburg was chosen as the location for the 

State Normal and Industrial School for women. Some of its first buildings were Monroe and 

Willard halls (Alvey 1974; DHR 2016). In 1938, the name was changed to Mary Washington 

College and again in in 2004 to University of Mary Washington (Crawley 2008). 

In 1912, Fredericksburg government underwent its first large-scale change in over a century, as 

it switched from a selectman-based system to a city manager plan. The new city manager was 

an integral participant in helping Fredericksburg incorporate the automobile into city planning, 

an invention that changed the entire pattern of town occupation. The automobile allowed for 

area residents to live farther out of town and drive to work within the city. New neighborhoods 

developed in the first half of the twentieth century, many of which incorporated the Colonial 

Revival style—a direct nod to Fredericksburg’s historic past (Johnston and Smith 2001; 

Schricker 2014; Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission 1970). 

By the end of the 1920s, much of Fredericksburg’s population was employed in the city’s 

industrial sector. By the Great Depression, Fredericksburg’s population included tens of 

thousands, many of whom were employed by large factories located south of town. The city 

remained heavily industrial in nature throughout most of the first half of the twentieth century 

(Johnston and Smith 2001; Schricker 2014; Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission 1970). 
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D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-9 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

2.2.3 The New Dominion to Present 

Throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, Fredericksburg grew exponentially. The 

creation of Interstate 95 and later Virginia Railway Express (VRE) made Fredericksburg a 

convenient place of residence for Washington, D.C. commuters. Although downtown 

Fredericksburg retains much of its turn-of-the-century characteristics, many areas along the 

city’s outer fringes have been greatly altered through large-scale residential and commercial 

growth. 

2.3 SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY 

2.3.1 Into the Twentieth Century 

Because of the immense impact of the Civil War, Spotsylvania County had a prolonged and 

difficult Reconstruction period. Homes, land, and livestock were decimated during the war, and 

the county’s work force left the area after Emancipation. Half of the county land that was under 

cultivation in 1860 was still unimproved in 1880 (Siegel et al. 1995), and the county wheat 

production went from 132,000 bushels before the war to 48,000 in 1890 (Coleman and Trice 

1934). 

In an attempt to lessen the burden, other industries and work locales were introduced. The 

mining of pyrite began in the early 1900s and was a moderate success throughout the 1910s 

(Lonsdale 1927). The automobile allowed for area residents to live in Spotsylvania while 

driving to work in nearby Fredericksburg. The railroad remained an important form of 

transportation and reinforced growth of the local economy as the RF&P had expanded to a 

double-track by 1907. By the Great Depression, the county’s population numbered tens of 

thousands, many of whom were employed by large factories located in the eastern portion of 

the county, south of Fredericksburg. This included the Sylvania Company and the G&H 

Clothing Plant. Although times were tough, many of these factories were able to keep their 

doors open during the tumultuous 1930s (Heinemann 1981:95). 

2.3.2 World War I to World War II (1917–1945) 

In the first decades of the twentieth century, Spotsylvania County’s transportation networks 

continued to grow, particularly its roadways after the formal establishment of the state’s 

Department of Highways in 1927 (VDOT 2002:30). That same year, an important route through 

Spotsylvania County was established; “after over 25 years of consideration, newspaper 

editorials, town meetings, financial discussions and legislative debate the Jefferson Davis 

Highway, also known as the Washington-Richmond Highway or US Highway No. 1, was fully 

paved and open for business” (Schricker 2014). Railroads continued to upgrade area bridges 

and other rail-related facilities into the 1940s (Conner 2003:205). The lumber industry also 

profited from increased transportation options in Spotsylvania County, aided by the popular 

use of cordwood in railroad ties (Conner 2003:213). 

2.3.3 The New Dominion to Present 

The years after World War II were crucial in defining the current landscape for the entire 

Northern Virginia region. The federal government expanded, bringing with it lobbying groups 

and research and development enterprises (Evans 1989:130). The 1956 Highway Act paved the 
HISTORIC CONTEXT 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 2-10 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

way for Interstate 95, rolling southward from Washington, D.C. Interstate 95 brought travelers 

and new residents an easier travel route across the eastern edge of the county. However, while 

the pace of development has steadily increased in Fredericksburg and areas farther north in 

recent decades, Spotsylvania County has only recently experienced similar growth. As this 

growth continues, the predominantly rural nature of the county and the small crossroads 

communities scattered across the landscape will likely be impacted.
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 3-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

METHODOLOGY 

The architectural survey was conducted to evaluate any historic buildings, objects, or districts 

over 48 years in age for NRHP eligibility. Each resource was evaluated in regards to Criterion 

A, for its association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns 

of our history; Criterion B, for its association with people significant in our nation’s history; and 

Criterion C, for its embodiment of distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of 

construction, or that represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values. As part of 

the current survey, these architectural resources were not evaluated under Criterion D, for its 

potential to yield information important in history. Criteria considerations were taken into 

account only where necessary. 

A background literature and records review of the APE at the DHR was conducted prior to any 

fieldwork. This included an inspection of previous cultural resource surveys within the 

architectural APE and the notation of previously recorded architectural properties both within 

the APE and within a 0.5-mile radius of the APE to establish an area resource context. 

Once the background review was complete, field recordation commenced. For previously 

recorded resources that were previously determined eligible for or listed in the NRHP within 

the architectural APE, the DC2RVA team briefly examined these properties to assure that they 

retain the characteristics that rendered them eligible for the NRHP, but in-depth studies were 

not completed on these resources. 

During the architectural survey of both newly recorded and previously identified resources, the 

project’s architectural APE was surveyed through a combination of a vehicular and pedestrian 

reconnaissance. Above-ground properties meeting the age criteria of the NRHP were 

documented through photographs, written notes, and mapping. This includes buildings, 

objects, and districts that are within the project boundaries and in the viewshed of the project 

area. Digital photos were taken of each property documenting the primary elevation, oblique 

angles, and general setting. 

After the architectural field project was completed, the project team prepared separate Virginia 

Cultural Resource Information System (V-CRIS) forms and accompanying documentation for 

each recorded property in accordance with DHR policies and practices. Each V-CRIS packet 

included a V-CRIS form, site plan, set of hard-copy black & white photographs, and a CD of 

digital photos for each property. The hard copy and electronic versions of the photographs were 

labeled and prepared according to DHR standards. 

3
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 4-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

BACKGROUND REVIEW 

Prior to conducting fieldwork, Dovetail conducted a background review of the DC2RVA project 

area to identify previously recorded above-ground resources within a 0.5-mile radius around 

the APE. This task included an evaluation of DHR files, maps, and reports and CWSAC maps to 

obtain the required information. The goal was to provide data on previously recorded resources 

to aid in the evaluation of properties identified during the current survey. 

4.1 PREVIOUS SURVEYS 

In December 1995, VDOT in conjunction with Spotsylvania County contracted Traceries to 

conduct a historical architectural survey of Spotsylvania County. Initially, the project 

anticipated the survey of 120 previously identified properties; however, upon further 

inspection, it was discovered that many of these resources had been demolished. Traceries 

decided to identify and survey all resources that were 50 years or older on the Spotsylvania 

USGS map that retained their integrity. In total, 124 properties were documented at the 

reconnaissance level and 12 properties at the intensive level (Traceries 1996:4). The intensivelevel survey found nine resources to be eligible for the NRHP. Additionally, a historic district 

that includes four pre-Civil War properties along Guinea Station Road was recommended for 

further research (Traceries 1996:250). 

During August and September 2008, Cultural Resources, Inc. (CRI) conducted a selective, 

reconnaissance-level cultural landscape inventory of the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) 

Slaughter Pen Farm property. Additionally, they conducted a metal detector survey of the 

selected areas. These surveys were completed in preparation for a reenactment (which was to 

take place on November 14–16, 2008) of the events associated with the aftermath of First Battle 

of Fredericksburg, which occurred on December 14–15, 1862. The metal detecting, conducted at 

a 25-foot interval, uncovered eligible and potentially eligible cultural resources, none of which 

would be impacted as long as no digging took place during the event and no materials were 

removed. The farm complex at Wayside/Slaughter Pen Farm was the only architectural 

resource identified during the survey. It was recommended for further research and as 

potentially eligible to the NRHP under Criteria A and C (DeChard and Ferland 2008). 

The William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research conducted a cultural resources 

survey of the proposed Massaponax Church Road (Route 608) improvement project in 

Spotsylvania County for Dewberry in 2009. Both archaeological and architectural resources 

were surveyed in the 0.68-mile-long section of Massaponax Church Road. The purpose was to 

provide specific information concerning the nature and distribution of the archaeological and 

architectural resources within the project corridor and to provide preliminary determinations of 

NRHP eligibility. A total of 108 shovel test pits (STPs) were excavated within the project 

corridor, none of which were positive and no archaeological sites or locations were identified. 

4
BACKGROUND REVIEW 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 4-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

The architectural survey identified one structure older than 50 years: the dwelling at 3352 Lavue 

Lane (088-5334). This resource was not previously recorded with the DHR. It was recommended 

not eligible for the NRHP and further work would not be necessary (Malvasi et al. 2009). 

In October 2012, on behalf of the EEE Consulting (EEE), Dovetail conducted a Phase I cultural 

resource survey for the proposed construction of a new Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Station 

to be located in the northeast section of Spotsylvania County. The area, located along Mills 

Drive (Route 17), and along the existing railroad tracks currently owned by CSX Corporation, 

received both archaeological survey and architectural survey. The archaeological APE consisted 

of 75.8 acres. Phase I shovel testing of 26.3 acres in the undisturbed portions of the APE resulted 

in the excavation of 127 STPs. Thirteen artifacts were recovered from nine STPs, all considered 

isolated archaeological finds. No archaeological sites were identified within the surveyed areas. 

The architectural survey identified nine above-ground resources within the architectural APE. 

Only one of these resources, La Vue (088-0039), was previously recorded and determined 

eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. The remaining eight above-ground resources had never been 

previously recorded, seven of which were determined not eligible and one, the RF&P (088-

5413), was determined potentially eligible (Carmody et al. 2012). 

Coastal Carolina Research (CCR) conducted a cultural resources identification survey for the 

proposed replacement of the Fall Hill Avenue Bridge over I-95, improvements to Fall Hill 

Avenue, and the extension of Mary Washington Boulevard in Fredericksburg. The survey was 

undertaken in February 2012 for Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and the City of 

Fredericksburg. The purpose of the survey was to determine if historic resources on, eligible for, 

or potentially eligible for the NRHP were located within the APE. The survey identified 10 

extant previously recorded archaeological or architectural resources, one historic district 

recommended as potentially eligible for the NRHP, and 16 newly recorded archaeological or 

architectural resources. One of the newly recorded archaeological resources was recommended 

for additional testing. The remaining newly recorded archaeological sites and architectural 

resources lack the significance and integrity that merit a NRHP nomination and were therefore 

recommended not eligible (Deetz et al. 2012). 

On behalf of VDOT, and VDOT’s consultant, McCormick Taylor, Inc. (McCormick Taylor), 

Dovetail conducted an architectural survey as part of the proposed Rappahannock River 

Crossing project in July 2012 and October 2014. The survey’s intention was to study the 

environmental impacts of a proposed tolled connector road from I-95 to Route 3 in Stafford and 

Spotsylvania Counties and the City of Fredericksburg. The survey resulted in the 

documentation of 27 previously surveyed resources, four of which were battlefields, and 18 

newly recorded resources. With the exception of one resource and the battlefields, all of the 

resources were determined to be not eligible for the NRHP (Dollins and Carmody 2014). 

4.2 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED CULTURAL RESOURCES 

A total of 19 architectural properties has been previously recorded within 0.5 miles of the 

DC2RVA corridor in the FBHA and HAXR segments (See table in Appendix A). Two of these 

resources (10.5 percent) have been listed in the Virginia Landmark Register (VLR) and the 

NRHP. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park (111-

0147) was listed in the NRHP in 1966 and in the VLR in 1973 under Criterion A for its role in the 

American Civil War as a location of military action and Criterion D for its potential to yield 

archaeological information about the battles (DHR 2016). It is composed of earthworks, 
BACKGROUND REVIEW 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 4-3 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

cannons, and informational markers in addition to a total of 429 non-archaeological cultural 

resources, 350 of which are considered contributing to its significance. 

La Vue (088-0039), previously referred to as “Prospect View,” is a two-story, three-bay, singlefamily dwelling constructed around 1848 in the Greek Revival style with an L-plan by and for 

the Alsop family. The house was placed in the VLR on October 20, 1993 and in the NRHP on 

July 27, 1993 under Criterion C for architecture as it serves as one of the few surviving examples 

of the Greek Revival style in a rural context in Spotsylvania County. Additionally, La Vue 

contains several contributing secondary resources including a family cemetery, the site of a 

servant’s quarters, and a well house (Turpin and Miller 1993). 

Two (10.5 percent) of the remaining 17 previously recorded resources within 0.5 miles of the 

Project have been determined potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP by DHR staff. One 

resource, the Battle of Fredericksburg II (1863) (111-5296), is also associated with the 

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park (111-0147). In 2007, 

the resource was considered potentially eligible under Criterion A for its contribution to the 

broad pattern of Civil War history in the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County. The 

second resource, the RF&P (088-5413), was determined potentially eligible by DHR staff in 2012 

under Criterion A for its importance in the field of transportation history in Virginia and 

Spotsylvania County (DHR 2016). 

One resource (5.3 percent) located within 0.5 miles of the Project was determined by DHR staff 

to be not eligible for the NRHP. This resource is a circa-1940, single-family dwelling located at 

3352 LaVue Lane (088-5334). It is a common dwelling type for the area and era in which it was 

constructed. 

The remaining resources (n=14, 73.7 percent) have not been given a formal NRHP eligibility 

determination. Among these resources are the Battle of Fredericksburg I (1862) (111-5295), the 

Meade Pyramid (1898) (088-0128), Slaughter Pen Farm (088-0254), and 11 dwellings ranging in 

date of construction from circa 1756 to 1978. 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

RESULTS 

The architectural investigation of the FBHA and HAXR segments of the DC2RVA project 

involved a field survey of all above-ground resources over 48 years in age within the Project’s 

architectural APE. Both previously recorded properties and newly recorded resources were 

included as part of the current evaluation to achieve cultural resource compliance. The current 

survey identified four previously recorded resources and 19 newly recorded resources, for a 

total of 23 surveyed resources. 

5.1 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCES 

This survey identified four previously recorded buildings, objects, and districts within the 

architectural APE (Table 5-1, Figures 5-1 through 5-7). Any previously recorded structures 

within the APE will be included in a subsequent report. Of those four resources, two have been 

previously listed in the NRHP and on the VLR. The two additional previously recorded 

resources had not been formally evaluated for the NRHP by DHR. 

Table 5-1 lists these four resources, along with Dovetail’s eligibility determination. Cells 

highlighted in red denote resources that should retain their previous eligibility determination 

(potentially eligible or eligible for, or listed in, the NRHP), while cells highlighted in blue 

denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current survey. 

Two resources, the Battle of Fredericksburg I (111-5295) and the Battle of Fredericksburg II (111-

5296), are also located within the Project’s architectural APE in the Dahlgren to Fredericksburg 

(DJFB), FBHA, and HAXR segments. These resources were revisited during the survey of the 

DJFB segment and as such, they appear in detail in the DJFB segment report (Lesiuk and Staton 

2015). 

TABLE 5-1: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCES IDENTIFIED DURING THE CURRENT 

SURVEY 

DHR 

Number Name City/County Date of Construction Segment

DC2RVA Project 

Team 

Recommendation

111-0147 

Fredericksburg & 

Spotsylvania Co. 

Battlefields National 

Military Park & Cemetery, 

Lee Drive 

Fredericksburg City 1862 FBHA Remains Listed 

088-0254 

Slaughter Pen Farm, 11232 

Tidewater Trail (Wayside 

Farm or Pierson Farm) 

Spotsylvania County ca. 1898 FBHA Potentially Eligible Under 

Criteria A and C 

088-0128 Meade Pyramid, Lee Drive Spotsylvania County 1898 FBHA Potentially Eligible Under 

5
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE 5-1: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCES IDENTIFIED DURING THE CURRENT 

SURVEY 

Criterion A 

088-0039 La Vue, 3232 LaVue Lane 

(Prospect View) Spotsylvania County ca. 1848 HAXR Remains Listed 

Source: Dovetail, 2016. 

Table Notes: 1. Cells highlighted in red denote resources that should retain their previous eligibility determination (potentially eligible or 

eligible for, or listed in, the NRHP). 2. Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current 

survey. 







RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-10 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

5.1.1 Previously Recommended Potentially Eligible/Eligible for, or Listed in, the 

NRHP 

Two of the four previously recorded resources included in this survey have received a formal 

NRHP eligibility evaluation from DHR staff. These include one battlefield park (111-0147) and a 

farm complex (088-0039). A brief description of each is listed below. 

The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park (111-0147) 

is a Civil War battlefield park composed of earthworks, cannons, and informational markers in 

addition to a total of 429 non-archaeological cultural resources, 350 of which are considered 

contributing to its significance (Figure 5-8). The park was listed on the NRHP in 1966 and as a 

VLR in 1973 under Criterion A for its role in the American Civil War as a location of military 

action and Criterion D for its potential to yield archaeological information about the battles 

(DHR 2016). It is recommended that the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields 

National Military Park remains eligible for, and listed in, the NRHP.

FIGURE 5-8: OVERVIEW OF FREDERICKSBURG AND SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY BATTLEFIELDS 

NATIONAL MILITARY PARK (111-0147) 

Additionally, La Vue, also known as Prospect View (088-0039), is a two-story, three-bay, 

single-family dwelling constructed around 1848 in the Greek Revival style with an L-plan 

(Figure 5-9). The house was placed in the NRHP in 1993 under Criterion C for architecture as it 

serves as one of the few surviving examples of the Greek Revival style in a rural context in 

Spotsylvania County. The dwelling continues to exhibit these Greek Revival features including 

its symmetrical façade, the corbeled brick cornice, and segmental arches over each window and 

door opening. Additionally, La Vue retains several of its contributing secondary resources 
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-11 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

including a family cemetery, the site of a servant’s quarters, and a well house (Turpin and 

Miller 1993). For these reasons, it is recommended that La Vue remains eligible for, and listed 

in, the NRHP. 

FIGURE 5-9: LA VUE (088-0039), EAST ELEVATION 

5.1.2 Previously Not Evaluated Resources Recommended Potentially Eligible 

Of the four previously recorded resources, two had not formally received an eligibility 

determination from DHR at the time of the current survey. Of those, Dovetail recommended 

that both be considered potentially eligible for the NRHP. A brief description of each is listed 

below. 

Slaughter Pen Farm (088-0254), also known as Wayside Farm or Pierson Farm, is a latenineteenth century farm complex (Figure 5-10). It is composed of a two-story, three-bay, 

Italianate-style, single-family dwelling, three agricultural outbuildings, a shed, one kitchen, a 

slave quarters, and a well. Although boards have been placed over the first-story doors and 

windows, it is likely that they serve as a means to protect the existing fenestration. It is not 

likely that they impact the historic integrity of this resource. Overall, the primary resource, a 

house, appears to be in good condition and retains many of its character-defining Italianate 

features including the bracketed cornice with decorative scrolled brackets, low-pitched hipped 

roof, and original tall, narrow windows. Additionally, it is believed that as many as 2,500 men 

were wounded or killed on the property during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 

(DHR 2016). For these reasons, it is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP under 

Criteria A and C. It is not associated with any significant person, and is, therefore, 

recommended not eligible for the NRHP under Criterion B. As an architectural resource, this 

property was not evaluated under Criterion D.
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-12 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

FIGURE 5-10: SLAUGHTER PEN FARM (088-0254), NORTHEAST ELEVATION 

The Meade Pyramid (088-0128) is a stone pyramid erected in 1898 (Figure 5-11). According to a 

National Park Service informational sign located south of the resource just north of Lee Drive, 

the pyramid was erected by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society to mark historically 

significant sites along Virginia’s railroads. The president of the RF&P erected this stone 

pyramid modeled after Hollywood Cemetery’s unknown Confederate dead memorial in 

Richmond, Virginia. The location of the pyramid “marks the point where General George G. 

Meade’s Union division penetrated the boggy gap in ‘Stonewall’ Jackson’s lines on December 

13, 1862. Over the years it has become known as the Meade Pyramid. The monument is not 

accessible.” The monument remains in excellent condition and is a good example of post-war 

commemorative memorials erected on area battlefields. As such, it is recommended that the 

Meade Pyramid is potentially eligible under Criterion A. The resource has no outstanding 

architectural elements and is not the work of a master. Therefore, the resource is 

recommended not eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C. It has no known association with 

a significant event or person; consequently, it is recommended not eligible for the NRHP 

under Criterion B. As an architectural resource, this property was not evaluated under 

Criterion D.
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-13 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

FIGURE 5-11: THE MEADE PYRAMID (088-0128), SOUTHWEST OBLIQUE 
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-14 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

5.2 NEWLY RECORDED RESOURCES 

The DC2RVA Project Team documented 19 newly recorded resources (Table 5-2; Figures 5-12 

through 5-14). Of those 19 resources, one is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP. 

Table 5-2 lists all 19 newly recorded resources, along with Dovetail’s eligibility determination. 

Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the 

current survey. 

TABLE 5-2: NEWLY RECORDED RESOURCES IDENTIFIED DURING THE CURRENT SURVEY 

DHR 

Number Name City/County Date of Construction Segment

DC2RVA Project 

Team 

Recommendation

111-5433 CSX Transportation 

Building, Railroad Avenue Fredericksburg City ca. 1960 FBHA Not Eligible 

088-5462 House, 10229 Sunset Hill 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5463 House, 10231 Sunset Hill 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5464 House, 10233 Sunset Hill 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1965 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5465 House, 10235 Sunset Hill 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1968 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5466 House, 10309 Sunset Hill 

Lane Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5467 House, 9911 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1920 HAXR Potentially Eligible Under Criterion A 

088-5468 House, 9921 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5469 House, 10001 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5470 House, 10003 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5471 House, 10221 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County 1920 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5472 House, 10227 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5473 House, 10317 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5474 House, 10327 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5475 House, 10415 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5476 House, 10417 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-15 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE 5-2: NEWLY RECORDED RESOURCES IDENTIFIED DURING THE CURRENT SURVEY 

088-5477 House, 10419 Benchmark 

Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5478 House, 2809 Puppy Lane Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5479 

Commercial Building (McK 

Company, Inc.), 3006 Mine 

Road 

Spotsylvania County ca. 1960 HAXR Not Eligible 

Source: Dovetail, 2015. 

Table Notes: 1. Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current survey. 



RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-19 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

5.2.1 Newly Recorded Resources Recommended Potentially Eligible 

One newly recorded resource is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP. 

The house at 9911 Benchmark Road (088-5467) is a one-story, three-bay, single-family dwelling 

constructed in the early-twentieth century (Figure 5-15). According to a personal 

communication with a relative of the current owner, Greg Bell on October 13, 2015, this resource 

was moved during the 1930s when Fort A.P. Hill was established. This house was originally one 

of several dwellings located near Bowling Green, Virginia. Bell described the house as being one 

of the only remaining extant dwellings from the displacement (Greg Bell, personal 

communication 2015). An oral history compilation titled “WEALTHY IN HEART:” Oral History 

of Life Before Fort A. P. Hill produced by Cultural Resource Division describes this displacement. 

In 1941, when the United States government set out to acquire 76,000 acres of 

land in rural Caroline County and a small portion of Essex County, hundreds of 

farming families who had lived there for generations were caught up in the 

whirlwind of history and gracefully acquiesced their lands for the needs of their 

country...The acquisition consisted of 1,116 individual tracts of land; displacing 

families, farms, schools, churches, and communities that had existed in the 

sleepy countryside for generations (Morton and Morton 2007). 

Additional research and study is needed to determine its significance as a surviving dwelling of 

a displaced community. While the dwelling was moved, and therefore has lost its integrity of 

setting and location, it retains a moderate to high level of integrity of design, association, and 

feeling. As such, it is recommended that the house at 9911 Benchmark Road is potentially 

eligible under Criterion A. The resource has no outstanding architectural elements and is not 

the work of a master. Therefore, the resource is recommended not eligible for the NRHP 

under Criterion C. It has no known association with a significant event or person; 

consequently, it is recommended not eligible for the NRHP under Criterion B. As an 

architectural resource, this property was not evaluated under Criterion D. 

FIGURE 5-15: HOUSE AT 9911 BENCHMARK ROAD (088-5467), NORTHWEST OBLIQUE 
RESULTS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 5-20 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

5.2.2 Newly Recorded Resources Recommended Not Eligible 

The DC2RVA Project Team documented 19 newly recorded resources (Table 5-2; Figures 5-12 

through 5-17). A majority (n=17, or 89 percent) are single-family dwellings constructed between 

1920 and 1968. Some of these buildings are examples of styles and forms that were popular 

during the second and third quarters of the twentieth century, such as Craftsman, Ranch, and 

Minimal Traditional styles and the bungalow form; however, on a whole, they represent a 

building type that is vernacular throughout the region. 

Two of the newly recorded resources are commercial buildings (111-5433 and 088-0479). Both 

are industrial commercial buildings constructed during the early-1960s. The commercial 

building at 3006 Mine Road, currently the McK Company, Inc., exhibits various alterations and 

additions to its original 1960s masonry core. 

A majority (n=18, or 95 percent) of these newly recorded resources have no outstanding 

architectural merit and are not known to be the work of a master. For these reasons, they are 

recommended not eligible for individual listing in the NRHP under Criterion C. They have no 

known association with a significant event or person and are not associated with any broad 

patterns in history. Therefore, they are recommended not eligible for the NRHP under Criteria 

A and B. As architectural resources, these properties were not evaluated under Criterion D. In 

sum, these 18 newly recorded resources are recommended not eligible for the NRHP under 

Criteria A–C. 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 6-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The DC2RVA Project Team conducted a reconnaissance-level architectural survey of the FBHA 

and HAXR segments of the DC2RVA corridor. The DC2RVA project is being completed under 

the auspices of the FRA in conjunction with the DRPT. Because of FRA’s involvement, the 

undertaking is required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The Project is being 

completed as DHR File Review #2014-0666. 

In total, the DC2RVA Project Team surveyed 23 historic architectural resources within the 

architectural APE within the FBHA and HAXR segments. A majority (n=18, or 78 percent) of 

these resources have no known association with a known historic trend or specific event or a 

notable person (Table 6-1). Furthermore, they have no outstanding architectural merit and are 

not known to be the work of a master. As such it is recommended that 18 of the 23 resources 

documented during the current survey are recommended not eligible for individual listing 

on the NRHP. 

Two resources were previously determined potentially eligible/eligible for, or listed in, the 

NRHP, including the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military 

Park (111-0147) and La Vue, also known as Prospect View (088-0039). Because both of these 

resources have not been greatly altered and continue to possess the same levels of integrity that 

made them eligible for the NRHP, the DC2RVA Project Team recommends that they should 

retain their previous eligibility status. 

A total of two resources (Slaughter Pen Farm, 088-0254, and the Meade Pyramid, 088-0128) was 

previously surveyed with the DHR but not given a formal NRHP evaluation. The DC2RVA 

Project Team recommends these two resources potentially eligible for the NRHP under 

Criteria A and C and Criterion A, respectively. In addition, as a result of the current survey, 

one newly recorded resource, a dwelling at 9911 Benchmark Road (088-5467), is recommended 

potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A.

Table 6-1 summarizes identified resources in the FBHA and HAXR segments, along with 

Dovetail’s eligibility determination. Cells highlighted in red denote resources that should retain 

their previous eligibility determination (potentially eligible or eligible for, or listed in, the 

NRHP), while cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a 

part of the current survey. 

 

 

6
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 6-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE 6-1: SUMMARY OF IDENTIFIED RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

DHR 

Number Name City/County Date of Construction Segment

DC2RVA Project 

Team 

Recommendation

111-0147 

Fredericksburg & 

Spotsylvania Co. 

Battlefields National 

Military Park & 

Cemetery, Lee Drive 

Fredericksburg City 1862 FBHA Remains Listed 

111-5433 

CSX Transportation 

Building, Railroad 

Avenue 

Fredericksburg City ca. 1960 FBHA Not Eligible 

088-0039 La Vue, 3232 LaVue 

Lane (Prospect View) Spotsylvania County ca. 1848 HAXR Remains Listed 

088-0128 Meade Pyramid, Lee 

Drive Spotsylvania County 1898 FBHA Potentially Eligible Under Criterion A 

088-0254 

Slaughter Pen Farm, 

11232 Tidewater 

Trail (Wayside Farm 

or Pierson Farm) 

Spotsylvania County ca. 1898 FBHA 

Potentially Eligible 

Under Criteria A and 

C 

088-5462 House, 10229 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5463 House, 10231 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5464 House, 10233 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1965 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5465 House, 10235 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1968 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5466 House, 10309 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5467 House, 9911 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1920 HAXR Potentially Eligible Under Criterion A 

088-5468 House, 9921 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5469 House, 10001 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5470 House, 10003 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5471 House, 10221 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1920 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5472 House, 10227 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5473 House, 10317 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible 
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 6-3 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE 6-1: SUMMARY OF IDENTIFIED RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

088-5474 House, 10327 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5475 House, 10415 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5476 House, 10417 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5477 House, 10419 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5478 House, 2809 Puppy 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible 

088-5479 

Commercial Building 

(McK Company, Inc.), 

3006 Mine Road 

Spotsylvania County ca. 1960 HAXR Not Eligible 

Source: Dovetail, 2016. 

Table Notes: 1. Cells highlighted in red denote resources that should retain their previous eligibility determination (potentially eligible or 

eligible for, or listed in, the NRHP). 2. Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current 

survey. 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 7-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

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Crawley, William B., Jr. 

7
REFERENCES 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 7-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

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Howison, Robert Reid 
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1835 A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Joseph 

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Marvel, William 

1993 The Battle of Fredericksburg: Civil War Series. Eastern National Park and Monument 

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Miller, Ann B. (Compiler) 

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Rhea, Gordon C. 

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Schurict, Herrmann 

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Siegel, Peter E., Wade P. Catts, and Margarita Jerabek Wuellner 

1995 Phase II Archaeological Evaluations of Nine Sites in the Proposed Hunting Run Reservoir 

Area, Spotsylvania County, Virginia. JMA Associates, Alexandria, Virginia. 

Spotswood, Alexander 

1945 Iron Works at Tuball; Terms and Conditions for their Lease. Original by Alexander 

Spotswood in 1739. Reprint by the McGregor Library, Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Stackpole, Edward J. 

1958 Chancellorsville, Lee’s Greatest Battle. The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

Stanton, Gary 
REFERENCES 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 7-5 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

1997 How Fire Changed Fredericksburg, Virginia. In Shaping Communities: Perspectives in 

Vernacular Architecture, VI, edited by C. L. Hudgins and E. C. Cromley, pp. 122–134. 

University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Traceries 

1996 Historic Architectural Survey of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Traceries, Chevy Chase, 

Maryland. 

Turpin, Kate, and George Miller 

1993 National Register for Historic Places Nomination Form: La Vue (088-0039). Mary 

Washington College Department of Historic Preservation, Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

Electronic document, http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/ 

Counties/Spotsylvania/088-0039_La_Vue_1994_Final_Nomination.pdf, accessed 

March 2016. 

Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) 

2016 Various survey documents and unpublished materials. On file in the Archives at the 

Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, Virginia. 

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) 

2002 A History of Roads in Virginia; “the most convenient wayes”. Unpublished 

pamphlet, Virginia Department of Transportation, Office of Public Affairs, 

Richmond, Virginia. 

Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission 

1970 Fredericksburg Historic District National Register of Historic Places Nomination. 

Electronic document, http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/ 

Fredericksburg/111-0132_Fredericksburg_HD_1971_Final_Nomination.pdf, 

accessed July 2015. 

Wayland, John W. 

1989 Germanna: Outpost of Adventure, 1714–1956. Second Edition. Germanna Record no. 7. 

The Memorial Foundation of Germanna, Orange County, Virginia. 

Willis, Barbara, and Paula Felder 

1987 Handbook of Historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, 

Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

1993 Handbook of Historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, 

Fredericksburg, Virginia. 
D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail A-1 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

APPENDIX A: BACKGROUND REVIEW TABLE 

TABLE A-1: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCES WITHIN 0.5 MILES OF THE 

ARCHITECTURAL APE

DHR 

Number 

Property Name and 

Address 

Date of 

Construction Segment Evaluation Status Date of Evaluation 

088-0039 La Vue, 3232 LaVue Lane 

(Prospect View) ca. 1848 HAXR NRHP Listing, VLR Listing 

7/27/1993 – NRHP; 

10/20/1993 – VLR 

088-0128 Meade Pyramid, Lee Drive 1898 FBHA Not Evaluated 

088-0254 

Slaughter Pen Farm, 11232 

Tidewater Trail (Wayside 

Farm or Pierson Farm) 

ca. 1898 FBHA Not Evaluated 

088-0255 House, Benchmark Road ca. 1900 HAXR Not Evaluated 

088-5237 

Belle Voir, Benchmark Road 

(Herndon Home, Yerby 

House) 

ca. 1756 HAXR Not Evaluated 

088-5334 House, 3352 LaVue Lane ca. 1940 HAXR DHR Staff: Not 

Eligible 9/30/2009

088-5413 

Richmond, Fredericksburg & 

Potomac Railroad (CSX 

Railroad Corridor) 

ca. 1837 FBHA & 

HAXR 

DHR Staff: 

Potentially Eligible 12/19/2012

111-0069 House, 309 McKinney Street ca. 1900 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0097 Sligo, 1100 Dixon Street 1882 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0147 

Fredericksburg & 

Spotsylvania Co. Battlefields 

National Military Park & 

Cemetery 

1861-1865 FBHA NRHP Listing, 

VLR Listing 

10/15/1966 – NRHP; 

1/6/1973 – VLR 

111-0509 Hogan House, 1015 Myrick 

Street ca. 1926 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0510 Jackson House, 1001 Myrick 

Street ca. 1920 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0576 O'Neal Mercer House, 313 

Tyler Street ca. 1978 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0577 Grant House, 319 Tyler 

Street 1926 FBHA Not Evaluated 
APPENDIX A 

D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail A-2 Architectural Reconn. Survey, FBHA–HAXR Segments 

TABLE A-1: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCES WITHIN 0.5 MILES OF THE 

ARCHITECTURAL APE

DHR 

Number 

Property Name and 

Address 

Date of 

Construction Segment Evaluation Status Date of Evaluation 

111-0578 White House, 327 Tyler 

Street 1917 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-0579 Chambers House, 335 Tyler 

Street 1907 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-5281 House, 313 Gates Street ca. 1910 FBHA Not Evaluated 

111-5295 Battle of Fredericksburg I 1862 FBHA & 

HAXR Not Evaluated 

111-5296 Battle of Fredericksburg II 1863 FBHA & 

HAXR 

DHR Staff: 

Potentially Eligible 1/24/2007

Source: Dovetail, 2016. 
 

Page 1 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

June 22, 2016 

Mr. Marc Holma 

Division of Review and Compliance 

Department of Historic Resources 

2801 Kensington Avenue 

Richmond, Virginia 22802 

RE: Resource Eligibility/ Segments 8 (Fredericksburg to Hamilton) and 9 (Hamilton to Crossroads) 

 Southeast High Speed Rail Project, Washington, D.C. to Richmond Segment 

 DHR #2014-0666 

Dear Marc, 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 

(DRPT) are continuing environmental studies associated with the Tier II Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for the Washington, D.C. to Richmond segment of the Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) corridor 

(Project). The limits of the Project extend from Control Point RO (MP CFP-110) in Arlington south to the 

CSX Transportation (“CSXT”) A-Line/CSXT-S-Line junction at MP A-11 in Centralia, Virginia (Chesterfield 

County), a distance of approximately 123 miles. 

This project is receiving federal funding through the FRA, requires permits issued by federal agencies 

such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and will traverse federal land including parcels owned by the 

U.S. Marine Corps and the National Park Service, among others. Due to the involvement of these and 

several other federal entities, the undertaking requires compliance with the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended. The 

FRA sent your office a project Initiation letter on December 11, 2014, formally commencing the Section 

106 process, and the project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE) was approved by the State Historic 

Preservation Officer (SHPO) on February 2, 2015, as required by 36 CFR 800.4(a)(1). 

We are writing today to coordinate architectural identification studies within Segment 8/ Fredericksburg 

to Hamilton (FBHA) and Segment 9/ Hamilton to Crossroads (HAXR) of the larger Project initiative. 

Segments 8/FBHA and 9/HAXR includes the span between just south of Howison Street in the City of 

Fredericksburg on the north and just south of Route 17 on the south. Enclosed please find two hard 

copies and one electronic copy of the report entitled Architectural Reconnaissance Survey for the 

Washington, D.C. to Richmond, Virginia High Speed Rail Project, Fredericksburg to Hamilton (FBHA) and 

Hamilton to Crossroads (HAXR) Segments, Spotsylvania County. The report was authored by Emily K. 

Anderson and Heather D. Staton with Dovetail Cultural Resource Group (Dovetail), a member of the 
 

Page 2 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

DC2RVA Project Team. The report meets all standards set forth in both the Secretary of Interior’s 

Standards and Guidelines (1983) and the Virginia Department of Historic Resource’s (DHR) Guidelines for 

Preparing Identification and Evaluation Reports (2011). 

In total, the DC2RVA Project Team surveyed 23 historic architectural resources within the architectural 

APE within the FBHA and HAXR segments. (A table is attached showing the resource numbers, names 

and addresses of these resources.) Two resources were previously determined potentially 

eligible/eligible for, or listed in, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including the 

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park and Cemetery (111-0147, 

Criteria A & D) and La Vue, also known as Prospect View (088-0039, Criterion C). Because both of these 

resources have not been greatly altered since they were recorded and continue to possess integrity, the 

DC2RVA Project Team recommends that they should retain their previous eligibility status. 

Two resources (Slaughter Pen Farm, 088-0254, and the Meade Pyramid, 088-0128) were previously 

recorded with the DHR but not given a formal NRHP evaluation. The DC2RVA Project Team recommends 

that these two resources are potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C and Criterion A, 

respectively. 

In addition, as a result of the current survey, one newly recorded resource, a dwelling at 9911 

Benchmark Road (088-5467), is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A. 

The remaining 18 resources include 16 single-family dwellings built in the second and third quarters of 

the twentieth century and two commercial buildings constructed in 1960. They have no known 

association with a known historic trend or specific event or a notable person. Furthermore, they have no 

outstanding architectural merit and are not known to be the work of a master. As such it is 

recommended that these 18 resources are recommended not eligible for individual listing on the NRHP. 

We invite your agency to concur with these recommendations within 30 days of receipt of this letter. If 

you have questions about historic property studies for this project, please do not hesitate to contact me 

or Heather Staton at (540) 899-9170 or via email at kbarile@dovetailcrg.com/hstaton@dovetailcrg.com. 

Sincerely, 

Kerri S. Barile, Ph.D. 

President, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group 
 

Page 3 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

CC: Emily Stock, DRPT 

 John Winkle, FRA 

 John Morton, HDR 

 Carey Burch, HDR 

 Stephen Walter, Parsons 
 

Page 4 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

The Virginia SHPO concurs that the following resources remain eligible for the NRHP, as recorded during 

the DC2RVA/Segments 8 and 9 study (DHR #2014-0666): 

088-0039 La Vue, 3232 LaVue Lane (Prospect View) (Criterion C) 

111-0147 Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania Co. Battlefields NMP & Cemetery (Criteria A & D) 

They further concur that the following properties are potentially eligible for the NRHP: 

088-0128 Meade Pyramid, Lee Drive (Criterion A) 

088-0254 Slaughter Pen Farm, 11232 Tidewater Trail (Criteria A & C) 

088-5467 House, 9911 Benchmark Road (Criterion A) 

Lastly, they concur that the following 18 resources are not eligible for the NRHP: 

088-5462 House, 10229 Sunset Hill Lane 

088-5463 House, 10231 Sunset Hill Lane 

088-5464 House, 10233 Sunset Hill Lane 

088-5465 House, 10235 Sunset Hill Lane 

088-5466 House, 10309 Sunset Hill Lane 

088-5468 House, 9921 Benchmark Road 

088-5469 House, 10001 Benchmark Road 

088-5470 House, 10003 Benchmark Road 

088-5471 House, 10221 Benchmark Road 

088-5472 House, 10227 Benchmark Road 

088-5473 House, 10317 Benchmark Road 

088-5474 House, 10327 Benchmark Road 

088-5475 House, 10415 Benchmark Road 

088-5476 House, 10417 Benchmark Road 

088-5477 House, 10419 Benchmark Road 

088-5478 House, 2809 Puppy Lane 

088-5479 Commercial Building (McK Company, Inc.), 3006 Mine Road 

111-5433 CSX Transportation Building, Railroad Avenue 

__________________________________________ ________________________ 

Julie Langan, Director Date 

Virginia Department of Historic Resources/Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer 
 

Page 5 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

 

TABLE 6-1: SUMMARY OF IDENTIFIED RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Cells highlighted in red denote resources that should retain their previous eligibility determination (potentially eligible or eligible for, or 

listed in, the NRHP). Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current survey.

DHR 

Number Name City/County Date of Construction Segment

DC2RVA Project 

Team 

Recommendation

088-0039 La Vue, 3232 LaVue 

Lane (Prospect View) Spotsylvania County ca. 1848 HAXR Remain Listed under Criterion C

088-0128 Meade Pyramid, Lee 

Drive Spotsylvania County 1898 FBHA Potentially Eligible Under Criterion A

088-0254

Slaughter Pen Farm, 

11232 Tidewater 

Trail (Wayside Farm 

or Pierson Farm)

Spotsylvania County ca. 1898 FBHA

Potentially Eligible 

Under Criteria A and 

C 

088-5462 House, 10229 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1940 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5463 House, 10231 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5464 House, 10233 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1965 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5465 House, 10235 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County 1968 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5466 House, 10309 Sunset 

Hill Lane Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5467 House, 9911 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1920 HAXR Potentially Eligible Under Criterion A

088-5468 House, 9921 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5469 House, 10001 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5470 House, 10003 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1940 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5471 House, 10221 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1920 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5472 House, 10227 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1942 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5473 House, 10317 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible
 

Page 6 

801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000

Richmond, VA 23219

TABLE 6-1: SUMMARY OF IDENTIFIED RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Cells highlighted in red denote resources that should retain their previous eligibility determination (potentially eligible or eligible for, or 

listed in, the NRHP). Cells highlighted in blue denote resources recommended potentially eligible as a part of the current survey.

DHR 

Number Name City/County Date of Construction Segment

DC2RVA Project 

Team 

Recommendation

088-5474 House, 10327 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5475 House, 10415 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5476 House, 10417 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5477 House, 10419 

Benchmark Road Spotsylvania County ca. 1930 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5478 House, 2809 Puppy 

Lane Spotsylvania County 1933 HAXR Not Eligible

088-5479

Commercial Building 

(McK Company, Inc.), 

3006 Mine Road

Spotsylvania County ca. 1960 HAXR Not Eligible

111-0147

Fredericksburg & 

Spotsylvania Co. 

Battlefields National 

Military Park & 

Cemetery, Lee Drive

City of 

Fredericksburg; 

Spotsylvania County

1862 FBHA Remain Listed under 

Criteria A and D

111-5433

CSX Transportation 

Building, Railroad 

Avenue

City of 

Fredericksburg; 

Spotsylvania County

ca. 1960 FBHA Not Eligible
Molly Joseph Ward 

Secretary of Natural Resources 

28 June 2016 

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA 

Department of Historic Resources 

2801 Kensington Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23221 

Dr. Kerri Barile, Ph.D. 

DC to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail 

80 I E. Main Street, Suite I 000 

Richmond, Virginia 23219 

Julie V Langan 

Director 

Tel: (804) 367-2323 

Fax (804) 36 7-2391 

www.dhr.virginia.gov 

RE: Architectural survey for SEHSR, Washington, DC to Richmond, Virginia, Segments 8 and 9 

Spotsylvania County and City of Fredericksburg 

VDHR File No. 2014-0666 

Dear Dr. Barile: 

The Department of Historic Resources (OHR) has received for our review and comment the 

architectural survey for Segment 8 (Fredericksburg to Hamilton) and Segment 9 (Hamilton to 

Crossroads) in the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR), Washington, DC to Richmond, Virginia 

(DC2RVA) corridor. The survey identified 23 architectural properties 48 years old or older 

within the project Area of Potential Effects (APE) for Segments 8 and 9. Of these 23 

architectural properties, four had been previously surveyed and 19 were newly documented by the 

consultant. Two properties, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Battlefields National Military Park 

(OHR Inventory No. 111-0147) and La Vue/Prospect View (OHR Inventory No. 088-0039) are 

currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the consult recommends 

that this status not be changed. The OHR concurs with this assessment. 

The consultant also recommends that Slaughter Pen Farm (OHR Inventory No. 088-0254) is 

eligible for listing under Criterion A for association with the December 1862 Battle of 

Fredericksburg, and Criterion C for its architectural merit as an Italianate style residence. We do 

agree that the land parcel containing the Slaughter Pen Farm and any buildings, structures or 

landscape features dating to the battle do contribute to the battlefield and are likely eligible for 

listing for that historic connection. However, any buildings, structures or landscape features that 

post-date the battle, to include the farmhouse itself, would not contribute to the Fredericksburg 

battlefield. With respect to the house being eligible under Criterion C, we do not consider it a 

particularly exceptional example of Italianate design, and do not believe it rises to architectural 

Administrative Services 

I O Courthouse Ave. 

Petersburg, VA 23 803 

Tel: (804) 862-6408 

Fax: (804) 862-6196 

Eastern Region Office 

2801 Kensington Avenue 

Richmond. VA 23221 

Tel (804) 367-2323 

Fax: (804) 367-2391 

Western Region Office 

962 Kime Lane 

Salem, VA 24153 

Tel (540) 387-5443 

Fax: (540) 387-5446 

Northern Region Office 

5357 Main Street 

PO Box 519 

Stephens City, VA 22655 

Tel: (540) 868-7029 

Fax: (540) 868-7033 
Page 2 

28 June 2016 

Dr. Kerri Barile 

-

significance under Criterion C. One of the outbuildings is identified in the V-CRIS form as a 

"one-story Slave Quarters". However, its construction date is given as 1898. Surely either the 

typology of the outbuilding as a "Slave Quarters" or its construction date is incorrect since 

slavery ended in 1865. 

The consultant believes that the Jackson Monument/Meade Pyramid (OHR Inventory No. 088-

0128) eligible for NRHP listing under Criterion A, presumably for its commemorative 

significance to the Fredericksburg battlefield. We believe that the Jackson Monument/Meade 

Pyramid does warrant NRHP listing, but as a contributing resource to the Fredericksburg and 

Spotsylvania Battlefields National Military Park, not individually. 

With respect to the consultant's recommendation that House, 9911 Benchmark Road (OHR 

Inventory No. 088-5467) potentially eligible under Criterion A "as a surviving dwelling of a 

displaced community". We disagree with this assessment. The house was moved from its 

original location and, therefore, no longer retains integrity of place or setting which reflect the 

"displaced community" is supposedly represents. It has also undergone considerable alterations 

such as vinyl siding and replacement vinyl windows, diminishing its historic character in 

materials. 

The remaining architectural properties; OHR Inventory Nos. 088-5462 through 088-5466 

(inclusive), 088-5468 through 088-54 79 (inclusive), and 111-5433, were judged by the consultant 

as not worthy of NRHP listing. The OHR agrees with this conclusion. 

If you have any questions about our comments, please contact me at (804) 482-6090. 

C: Ms Emily Stock, DRPT