Fort Harrison National Cemetery
Also known as: VDHR No. 43-134
Why it's listed
Fort Harrison National Cemetery occupies 1.5 acres on Varina Road in eastern Henrico County, eight miles southeast of Richmond. Established in May 1866, it holds 1,522 interments, including 583 unknown Civil War soldiers and a Medal of Honor recipient, Private George A. Buchanan. Many of those buried are black Union soldiers who fell in the September 1864 assault on nearby Fort Harrison, and remains were gathered from battlefields and some forty locations within a five-mile area. A brick wall encloses the grounds, and a cast iron seacoast artillery tube serves as a monument. The most architecturally notable building is the 1871 superintendent's lodge, an L-shaped rubble-stone Second Empire structure with a slate mansard roof, designed by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs. It was recognized for its Civil War associations and as a distinctive prototype by a master of Quartermaster Corps civil works. Burials ceased in 1967, apart from limited exceptions.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for its association with the Civil War, specifically the September 1864 Union attack on Fort Harrison, and many burials are of soldiers who fell there, including black Union troops. Under Criterion C, the lodge is a distinctive prototypical design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs.
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 95000921, listed August 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8620 Varina Rd., Richmond |
|---|---|
| County | Henrico County |
| Listed | August 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000921 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1866-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Meigs, Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Military |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Officially closed to new burials on March 7, 1967, though a small number of interments in occupied and reserved graves and of cremated remains still occur yearly. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 37.42852, -77.36648 (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 95000921.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5471302
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.