Ellwood Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ellwood Manor
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Nearest city | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
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| Area | 4,601.1 acres (1,862.0 ha) |
| Built | 1790 |
| Built by | William Jones |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park (ID66000046) |
Ellwood Manor is a historic home in Orange County, Virginia. It was built around 1790 by William Jones in the Georgian-style. For over 100 years, Ellwood was the center of a large plantation. It was located near the Chancellorsville crossroads, on the main road between Fredericksburg and Orange, Virginia. This road is now Virginia State Route 3.
Before the American Civil War, J. Horace Lacy married William Jones' younger daughter. After some legal discussions, he inherited Ellwood and Chatham Manor. During the Civil War, both Lacy brothers became Confederate officers. Caretakers looked after the property when armies were not using it.
Confederate soldiers used Ellwood as a headquarters and then as a hospital. This was after the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Chaplain Beverly Tucker Lacy buried General Stonewall Jackson's arm in the family cemetery at Ellwood. Jackson's arm was amputated after he was accidentally shot by his own soldiers. The injury eventually led to his death.
The next year, before the Battle of the Wilderness, Union General Gouverneur K. Warren used Ellwood as his headquarters. Later, it became a Union hospital during the push towards Richmond. After the war, Ellwood returned to farming. Today, the house is the only building left from the Battle of the Wilderness. It was given to the government in 1977. Now, it is part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
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Ellwood's Early History
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In colonial times, the land where Ellwood stands was given to Governor Alexander Spottswood. He did not build on it, but the county was named after him. During the American Revolutionary War, Churchill Jones was a Major. After the war, he joined his brother William Jones. William had started a farm in the area known as the Wilderness.
Around 1790, William Jones began building the house he called Ellwood. In 1781, troops led by the Marquis de Lafayette stayed at Ellwood. They were waiting for more soldiers before heading to the final campaign at Yorktown. Churchill Jones built another house nearby called Woodville. Later, he bought Chatham Manor near Fredericksburg.
It is said that "Light-Horse Harry" Lee wrote his wartime memories at Ellwood. In 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Ellwood again. This was during his famous return trip to the United States.
Life at Ellwood: Before the Civil War
In 1828, William Jones, who was 95 years old, married 16-year-old Lucinda Gordon. They had a daughter named Betty. William Jones died in 1845. He gave Ellwood to Lucinda, but only if she did not remarry. However, Lucinda gave Ellwood to their daughter Betty within two years so she could marry J. Horace Lacy.
In 1860, Horace Lacy owned many enslaved people, about 249 of them. He also owned about 49,000 acres of land. Most of this land was used for farming at Ellwood. Enslaved people worked as field hands and house servants. Some were also skilled workers like millers, carpenters, and blacksmiths. Today, there is little physical proof of where the enslaved people lived. Historians are still looking for these places.
Ellwood During the Civil War
Before the Civil War, the Lacy brothers, J. Horace Lacy and Beverly Tucker Lacy, owned Ellwood and Chatham. J. Horace Lacy joined the Confederate Army. His brother, Beverly Tucker Lacy, was a minister. He became the chaplain for General Stonewall Jackson. Jackson's arm was buried at Ellwood Plantation after it was amputated.
The Lacys left Ellwood in the care of two caretakers. These caretakers supported the Confederacy. In 1863, they were arrested and jailed in Washington, D.C. Ellwood's location was important during the war. It was used as a Confederate headquarters for a short time. Later, Union generals Gouverneur K. Warren and Ambrose Burnside used it as their headquarters. It also served as a major Union hospital during battles for control of the important route to the Confederate capital.
Ellwood After the War
By the end of the Civil War in 1865, both Ellwood and Chatham were badly damaged. Ellwood was mostly empty for eight years. Graves of soldiers were still on the property. Later, the Union Burial Corps moved many soldiers' remains from the site.
In 1872, the Lacys sold Chatham to pay taxes. But they kept Ellwood and lived there for the next 35 years. Betty Lacy helped start the Ladies Memorial Association of Fredericksburg. This group helped create the Confederate Cemetery. Her husband traveled and gave speeches to raise money. In 1903, a monument was put up to mark where Stonewall Jackson's arm is buried. This is still the only marked grave in the family cemetery.
Ellwood Today
After Betty Lacy died in 1907, a law professor named Hugh Evander Willis bought Ellwood. His family owned it until 1971. They then donated it to the National Park Service. The Park Service officially accepted the donation in 1977.
Today, the house and the land around it are open to the public. They have limited visiting hours. Since 1998, the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield have helped take care of Ellwood. This group works to preserve the historic building and its grounds. New exhibits were added in 2010. The house is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during summer weekends and holidays, and from May through October.
See also
- Battle of Chancellorsville
- Historic houses in Virginia
