Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/19/2003
NRHP Listing Date 06/23/2006
NRHP Reference Number 03000568
The Lee’s Mill Earthworks in the city of Newport News are some of the best surviving remains of the 12-mile-long Warwick-Yorktown line that delayed the Union advance toward Richmond in 1862. This site features rifle pits and a standard 19th-century redoubt designed by prominent Confederate engineers, Isaac St. John and Alfred Rives. These fortifications were the site of a battle on April 5, 1862, that led to a three-week siege of Union Major Gen. George McClellan’s forces. This act resulted in the Union’s failure to capture Richmond and prolonged the Civil War for three more years. The Lee’s Mill Earthworks site would likely yield archaeological evidence that can only be assessed for significance through future investigations.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: January 19, 2023
