Location of the Surrender Meeting

Some people come into the Visitors Center at Appomattox Court House which is the reconstructed courthouse and ask, "Did the signing of the surrender document happen upstairs?" or "This building doesn't look like the pictures that I have seen of where the document was signed." There are two problems withe these questions.

1. There was not a single document that was signed. General Grant signed the Terms of Surrender and General Lee signed a letter accepting the terms. The two generals did not sign the same document.
2. The surrender was signed in the village of Appomattox Court House, but not in Appomattox Courthouse. When talking about the village it is spelled using two separate words "Court" and "House". When talking about the building, courthouse, there is no space between the two words. In Virginia county seats were often named by the name of the county followed by "Court" and "House". Only a few county seats are named that way today. For example, the county seat of Appomattox County, VA today is the town of Appomattox, VA but the county seat of Chartotte County, VA is Charlotte Court House, VA.

 

Pictures of the McLean House and Appomattox Courthouse-Click and hold the up and down arrow. If you drag the mouse down you will see the McLean House and if you drag the mouse up you will see Appomattox Courthouse.

Top image
McLean House in Appomattox Court House
Credit: NPS

Bottom image
Appomattox Courthouse in Appomattox Court House
Credit: NPS