Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield
Why it's listed
Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield covers 647.4 acres in northeastern Dinwiddie County, Virginia, where Union troops broke the Confederate defensive line protecting Petersburg on April 2, 1865. From October 1864, soldiers of McGowan's South Carolina Brigade and others dug earthworks, rifle pits, artillery redans and dams across the Boisseau and Hart farms, and built winter huts behind the lines. About 1,700 linear feet of those works survive, partly because the marshy ground near Arthur Swamp was unsuitable for farming or development. Archaeologists in 1995 excavated three sunken winter huts, the first of their kind excavated in Virginia, and other sites remain untested. The district also includes the Hart House, a Gothic Revival cottage, and the site of the Harmon house, used briefly as a headquarters by Grant and Meade. Pamplin Historical Park occupies part of the land, with a trail following the Union assault, and its reproduction buildings are counted as noncontributing.
Significance in brief: The site is where Union forces broke through the Confederate defenses of Petersburg on April 2, 1865. It retains about 1,700 linear feet of well-preserved Confederate earthworks, rifle pits, dams and artillery positions, which are rare survivals. Archaeological work has found sunken winter huts, the first of their kind excavated in Virginia, and more sites remain to be investigated. The Hart House is also significant as a Gothic Revival cottage.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 06000239, listed February 17, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Duncan and Boydon Plank Rds., Petersburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dinwiddie County |
| Listed | February 17, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000239 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Other (earthen fortifications); Hart House is Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated February 17, 2006 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Part of the property is operated as Pamplin Historical Park, with a museum, a interpretive trail and park facilities. Much of the rest is forested. |
| Acreage | 647.7 |
| Within district | Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield Historic District at Pamplin Historical Park |
| Coordinates | 37.18025, -77.46819 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 06000239.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7178178
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.