The Village

The town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia started out as "Clover Hill" named after its oldest
existing structure, the Clover Hill Tavern (ca. 1819), a stage stop along the Richmond - Lynchburg
Stage Road. In 1845 the new county of Appomattox was formed and the town of Clover Hill was chosen
as the county seat. The newly designated county seat was renamed Appomattox Court House after the
Virginia custom of naming county seats by the county name plus court house spelled two words. This
custom was not universally followed but was very common in the state.

Click on "thumbnail" photos for link to larger ones.

Courthouse

RECONSTRUCTED 1963 - 1964

Visit: APPOMATTOX COURTHOUSE

McLean House

RECONSTRUCTED 1948

Visit: MCLEAN HOUSE

Clover Hill Tavern

BUILT 1819

RESTORED 1954

Visit: CLOVER HILL TAVERN

New Jail

BUILT 1860 - 1870

RESTORED 1963 - 1965

Description: 3 story 40'x20', with attic & standing seam gable roof. Wood platform on brick piers at rear door. Metal frame mortared into existing walls. Gable roof replaced in 1978. Chimney tops repaired in 1982. Under construction at outset of Civil War, building took 10 years to complete & contains at least 2 different brick types. Served as jail 1870-1892, & Clover Hill magisterial district polling station 1892-1940.

Plunkett - Meeks Store

BUILT 1850

ALTERED 1874

RESTORED 1959

RESTORED 1983

Description: 2 stories with basement & attic, 20'x36'. Dry laid brick & sandstone raised foundation. E porch: 8'x18' with gable roof & brick piers, N porch: 5'x16', 2nd floor enclosed. Exterior restored 1959. 1st floor furnished as General Store and post office. While a store, it was the social center of village life and a major part of the historical setting of Appomattox during the Surrender. Built by John H. Plunkett & purchased approximately 10 years later by Francis Meeks.

Plunkett - Meeks Storehouse

BUILT 1850

RESTORED 1959

Description: 1-story 16'x14' with gable roof & deeply-pointed, rough-cut, fieldstone piers. Original orientation may have had doors facing road & Plunkett-Meeks Store. Present at time of Surrender, building contributes to Plunkett-Meeks & village Surrender-period scene. Built by John Plunkett, historically correct site unknown, may have been on fence line at SW corner of property. Now located near rear of Plunkett-Meeks Store.

Woodson Law Office

BUILT 1851 - 1856

RESTORED 1959

RESTORED 1985

Description: 1 story 12'6"x14'6", post & beam on brick piers with standing seam gable roof. Moved from original location to be connected to North side of Plunkett-Meeks Store before 1874. Contributes to Plunkett-Meeks Store and village scene as it was at time of Surrender. Building was purchased by lawyer John W. Woodson in 1856 and was present at time of the Surrender although Woodson was no longer alive.

Bocock - Isbell House

BUILT 1848 - 1849

RESTORED 1948 - 1949

Peers House

BUILT 1855

RESTORED 1954

Mariah Wright House

BUILT 1823

RESTORED 1964 - 1965

Description: 1-story with gable roof attic & 1965 concrete basement, 40'6"x18'. Full length West (front) porch & central East porch 16'6"x7'6", both on stone piers with wood shingle shed roof. Confederate encampment until Confederate flag of truce emerged here 4/9/1865 just as Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain's Union infantry advanced toward the village. Built by Pryor Wright & inherited by Mariah Wright in 1851.

Sweeney Cabin

BUILT 1830 - 1840

ALTERED 1940 - 1950

RESTORED 1987 - 1988

Description: 1 story w/ loft, 20'3"x18'2", post & beam hall house with rough fieldstone chimney on West elevation. Represents a fine example of vernacular "hall" type cabin commom in rural Virginia at time of Surrender. Used by General Rooney Lee as Head Quarters.

Sweeney Prizery, Also Known as: ST. CLAIR

BUILT 1790 - 1799

STABILIZED 1959

STABILIZED 1978 - 1979

Description: 1 story with basement and full cellar, 36'6"x16'6", built into berm. 1959 protective metal sheeting covers wood clapboard walls & wood shingled gable roof. Post-1865 east porch & "ell" addition removed in 1959 when 1st mothballed. Foundation stabilized in 1979. General Fitzhugh Lee spent part of the night of April 8-9, 1865 here, close to Robert E. Lee's HQ. Oldest building in the Park (c. 1790). Built as residence & cellar prizery for Alexander Sweeney, owned by Major Joel Flood during Surrender.

Williams Cabin

BUILT 1850 - 1899

PRESERVED 1985

Description: 16'x18'1", constructed of 6"x8" "Cathedral cut" logs ('V' notched at the corners). Tin roof covers wood shingles. Some "mothballing" & cleaning of interior done in 1985. Otherwise, no work has been done. An almost untouched example of this type of log construction from the mid-nineteenth century. Pre-1865 construction date and Williams cabin ownership attribution based on map investigation.

Conner Cabin

BUILT 1860 - 1865

RESTORED 1986 - 1987

Description: 1 story w/ loft, 16'3"x18'3". Constructed of 6'x9' logs, "V"-notched at corners, shimmed & sheathed with weather boards. Centered fieldstone chimney on E elevation. Represents a fine example of vernacular "hall" type cabin common in rural Virginia at time of Surrender.

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joe_williams@nps.gov

Last Updated:Wednesday, 22-Dec-2004 09:46:16 Eastern Standard Time
http://www.nps.gov/archive/apco/bldings.htm