New Market Battlefield Park
Also known as: New Market Battlefield
Why it's listed
About 160 acres of rolling, mostly open farmland west of the Valley Pike near New Market, Virginia, preserve the ground where Confederate and Union forces fought on May 15, 1864. Trails cross the field and lead to the bluff where Federal cannon stood, and the Bushong House, used by both sides as a hospital, now serves as the visitor center. The battle came as Union Major General Franz Sigel advanced up the Shenandoah Valley toward Staunton as part of Grant's spring campaign. Confederate forces under John C. Breckinridge, including 247 Virginia Military Institute cadets, met and defeated him. It remains the only Civil War engagement in which cadets fought. Historian Douglas Southall Freeman argued that the victory protected the Virginia Central Railroad and kept the Valley from Federal occupation. George Collins, an institute graduate, bought most of the battlefield in 1944 and willed it to the school, which received it in 1964.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the Battle of New Market as one of the most important secondary engagements of the Civil War. Confederate forces under Breckinridge defeated Sigel's slightly larger Union force, which protected Confederate supply lines and the Virginia Central Railroad during Grant's 1864 spring campaign. It was also the only Civil War engagement in which cadets took part, including 247 from the Virginia Military Institute.
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 70000824, listed September 15, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of jct. of U.S. 11 and U.S. 211, New Market |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | September 15, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000824 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1864 |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a park; the Bushong House serves as the visitor center, and a program of restoration and development was in progress at the time of nomination. Condition is listed as good and unaltered. |
| Acreage | 160 |
| Coordinates | 38.66360, -78.66948 (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 70000824.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15262072
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.