Cold Harbor National Cemetery
Also known as: VDHR No. 42-136
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Why it's listed
Cold Harbor National Cemetery occupies 1.4 acres east of Richmond in Hanover County, Virginia. Established on April 30, 1866, it holds the remains of soldiers gathered from battlefields over a wide surrounding area, including 1,313 unknown Civil War soldiers among about 2,099 interments. Two burial mounds hold 889 unidentified Union dead, marked by a marble sarcophagus placed in 1877. Monuments erected in 1909 by Pennsylvania and New York honor their regiments, and a cast iron artillery tube serves as another memorial. A brick wall encloses the grounds. The Second Empire stone lodge, built in 1870 from a design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, is joined by a pump house, utility building and gasoline storage building from the 1920s and 1930s. The cemetery was listed for its link to the 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor and for the lodge's design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for its association with the Civil War and the Battle of Cold Harbor, and under Criterion C because the lodge reflects a prototypical design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs. It is part of the Civil War Era National Cemeteries multiple property listing.
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 95000922, listed August 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. VA 156 and 619, .5 mi. E, Mechanicsville |
|---|---|
| County | Hanover County |
| Listed | August 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000922 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1866-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Meigs, Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to new casketed interments in 1970, but burials in occupied graves and of cremated remains continue; as of January 1995 there were 11 sites available for cremated remains. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 37.64358, -77.28172 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 95000922.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5142272
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.