Appomattox Court House National Historical Park ruins The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park ruins are part of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park , which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15 , 1966 . Old county jail . The first municipal structure the county officials wanted soon after the newly formed Appomattox County was official was a new county jail , not a new courthouse . The original wooden jail built in 1845 was placed behind the courthouse on the north side of the Richmond - Lynchburg stage road . The " old " jail burned down around 1866 to 1867 . It was replaced by the New County Jail , a brick jail , that was already in construction from 1860 . The " new " jail was finished in 1867 , but not used until 1870 . The size of the " old " jail was about wide by deep . The only parts left to the ruin are four corner brick foundation remains . A marker at the site reads : R . J . N . Williams cabin ruin . The R . J . N . Williams Cabin ruin is identified as structure number 20 . The National Park Service has identified this as a ruin of a former log structure . The remains of a stone chimney is what remains in the ruin rubble . The original structure was about wide by deep . It was built with log planks of full dovetail notching . The loft area in the cabin was evidenced by mortising of the second - story joists . The once tin roof was covered with wood shingles . The cabin was constructed in 1850 to 1899 by James N . Williams . A Civil War Map identified this cabin as being north of the courthouse and as the residence of one " James N . Williams " , a carpenter and mechanic . Williams appeared in the United States Census of Appomattox in 1850 , 1860 & 1870 . In 1860 Williams shows as 39 years old and his wife Aramah is 32 years old . Their children are Richard D . ( 13 ) , James E . ( 8 ) , John C . ( 5 ) , and Thomas G . ( 2 ) . It shows his profession as a " mechanic . " The R . J . N . Williams Cabin ruin is significant by being likely to yield information important in history in Virginia before the American Civil War . It is also significant by virtue of its association with the site of General Robert E . Lee ' s surrender to General Ulysses S . Grant that took place on April 9 , 1865 . It is a part of the holistic landscape typical of both a seat of county government in Piedmont Virginia in the mid - nineteenth century and of a farming community in Virginia at the time of the American Civil War . The site was preserved in 1985 . McDearmon – Tibbs – Scott house ruin . The McDearmon – Tibbs – Scott ruins is a house on the Civil War - era Tibbs property built 1849 - 1850 and identified as structure number 31 . It is a nineteenth - century plantation with a main house and an associated well and slave cabins . Because it existed at the time of the surrender of General Robert E . Lee to General Ulysses S . Grant , it is significant under certain criteria of the National Park Service . There are certain Civil War - era maps that show that there were approximately 10 buildings on this site then . Samuel D . McDearmon purchased the undeveloped " Clover Hill " tract from Hugh Raine in 1846 , cutting off for a county seat for the new Appomattox county . In 1849 he began improving the now property adding $ 1 , 056 worth of buildings . By 1851 he had made improvements totaling $ 2 , 800 , likely indicating that the mansion house had been completed . This chronology also corresponds to his known political and financial zenith . Although he offered the tract for sale in October 1854 , Jacob Tibbs did not purchase McDearmon ' s property until 1856 and then only of it , which included the $ 2800 " improvements . " The following year Tibbs ' s " improvements " had been reduced to $ 2000 . The McDearmon – Tibbs – Scott house foundation ruins of the 1840s are constructed of hand - made masonry interspersed with window openings . On the perimeter of the brick foundation are poured - in - place concrete piers for a later wrap - around porch . The 1840s section measures about overall with an end chimney foundation of . The outer porch measures . The McDearmon – Tibbs – Scott house was originally a two - story , ell - plan Greek Revival house with low - slung hipped roof . A broad four - column portico marked the original entry It was modified in the beginning - to - early twentieth century ( 1900 to 1920 ) with a one story wrap - around porch and a second - story walkway and porte cochere . The front lower - story entrance has a double - leaf door with side and transom lights , the same for second - story porch . The windows were of 6 / 6 thin muntin double - hung sash with an alteration on the east facade of 4 / 1 sash . The roof appears to have had a widow ' s walk . The house was removed between 1965 and 1970 . The McDearmon - Tibbs estate was an early - pre - Civil War plantation that was a working farm up to the mid - twentieth century . A well served the main house and slave cabin area . The well was located northeast of the McDearmon – Tibbs – Scott house . There is a cast - in - place concrete cover over the original brick - lined well . The cover is about square with a opening . The abutting cover at side is an basin with wall . The basin rests on top of cover and is supported by two cast - in - place piers . The well is filled except for the top . Tinsley – Scott Tenant House Ruin # 1 - West . The Tinsley – Scott Tenant House Ruin # 1 - West is given the structure number 31A . It is one of two tenant house ruins behind the Tibbs – Scott main house ruin . It was built within line of original slave cabins as depicted on the Micheler Map . The slave houses date from post Civil War to 1880s , but construction components appear to be from earlier structures ; possibly slave cabins or other structures . This house is believed to post - date the eastern house due to its smaller size and use of bead board for interior finishes . It was built in 1865 to 1880 and altered in the later part of the twentieth century . It was originally two stories , four bay wide by one room deep . It had a gable roof with a central chimney , centered within roof ridge . Its size was about wide by about deep . It was high to the roof peak . It had boxed eave / fascia with heavy timber brace framing with earlier nails found embedded in sill beam in inverted position . There were two doors offset from centered chimney , flanked by double - hung sash . The second story has collapsed to the first floor level in the center . It is intact on the east elevation . The interior exhibits bead board finish applied to frame . Tinsley – Scott Tenant House Ruin # 2 - East . The Tinsley – Scott Tenant House Ruin # 1 - West is given the structure number 31B . It is one of two tenant house ruins behind the Tibbs – Scott main house ruin . It was built within line of original slave cabins as depicted on the Micheler Map . The slave houses date from post Civil War to 1880s , but construction components appear to be from earlier structures ; possibly slave cabins or other structures . This house is believed to pre - date the western house due to its larger size and use of plaster and lath on interior finish . It was built in 1865 to 1880 and abandoned in 1950 to 1960 . It was originally two stories , four bay wide by one room deep . It was a gable roofed tenant house . Its size was about wide by about deep . It was about to the bottom of the exposed sill and about to the bottom of the foundation . It was built in braced timber frame . The interior has ghosts of plaster and lath on wood members . The central chimney is centered on ridge . The western wall is still standing , and the remaining majority of the house has collapsed inward . The western sill beam has mortised holes for roof rafters and the eastern sill is in height . Coleman house ruin . The original Coleman Family homestead was given to Samuel H . Coleman and his wife Armanda as a wedding present from the bride ' s father . The farm existed in 1862 and continually worked into the early 20th century . The Coleman house ruin is located north of the Oakville Road trace in an area of heavy Civil War fighting leading up to the end of the war . The Coleman house ruin is significant under certain criteria of the National Park Service by virtue of its association with the site of General Robert E . Lee ' s surrender to General Ulysses S . Grant . It is significant under certain criteria as being likely to yield information important in Virginia history of the 19th and 20th century . The house was abandoned between 1920 and 1950 . The above ground remains are high by over long , however the lines of the remaining foundation are clearly visible . The north elevation contains ruins of an exterior stone fireplace , deep by long by high . There are indications of a brick chimney stack . The upper wall configurations or construction is unknown . The theory is that it was log plank . The Coleman Tobacco Barn was an original agricultural outbuilding to the Coleman estate and the only remaining still - standing structure . The building located north of the Richmond - Lynchburg Stage Road Trace existed at the time of the American Civil War and is representative of the grain culture . It is significant under certain criteria by embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type , period , and method of construction in rural Virginia of the nineteenth century . The buildings and resources constitute a holistic landscape typical of both a county government seat in Piedmont Virginia in the mid - 19th century and of a farming community in Virginia . Sweeney dam ruin and mill race . The original Sweeney dam and mill race were built by Alexander Sweeney around 1790 to power his milling operation that are now ruins . The structures are located south of the prizery and were built in the 18th century . It was used up to the time of the end of the American Civil War . They were abandoned in 1930 to 1940 . The earthen dam ruin was stone infill of over in length by almost high and bridged the Appomattox River . It is tapered shape with a walkway at approximately west at the base . It varies at the top from wide .