TOP 30 Military history in Locust Grove, Virginia

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Ellwood Manor, located at 36380 Constitution Highway in Locust Grove, Virginia, is a historic museum and tourist attraction that offers a glimpse into the antebellum agricultural operations of the 19th century. Unlike the grandeur of Chatham, Ellwood was a functional plantation of middling size, owned by the prominent Jones-Lacy clan. Enslaved people played a crucial role in sustaining the plantation, working the fields and maintaining the property. The house itself has a rich history, with notable visitors such as Marquis de Lafayette and legends of "Light Horse Harry" Lee writing his memoirs there. The Lacys, who owned Ellwood during the Civil War, used it as a summer home while preferring the grandeur of Chatham as their primary residence. The house served as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War and was occupied by Union troops, witnessing the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864. The property faced neglect after the war but was eventually acquired by Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in 1977. Visitors can explore the history of Ellwood by downloading the Ellwood Cultural Landscape Report and learning about the clash of US and Confederate forces during the Overland Campaign.