Deatonville, Virginia
Deatonville, Virginia | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 37°19′42″N 78°10′03″W / 37.32833°N 78.16750°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Virginia |
County | Amelia |
Elevation | 459 ft (140 m) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP codes | 23083, 23966 |
Area code | 804 |
GNIS feature ID | 1477253 |
Deatonville is a rural unincorporated community in the western part of Amelia County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located along SR 616 (S. Genito Road) at its intersection with the eastern terminus of SR 617 (E. Sayler's Creek Road). Deatonville straddles the boundary between ZIP codes 23083 (Jetersville) and 23966 (Rice).
The community was once called Thompson's Tavern. A post office, originally with the spelling "Deatonsville", was established in 1813, one of the first in Amelia County; it remained in operation until the turn of the 20th century.[1][2][3][4]
Sandy Creek Baptist Church, on Route 617, claims to be the oldest Baptist church in Amelia County, having been founded in 1771. The original building survived the Civil War but burned down in 1908. The current structure was dedicated in 1910 and has been expanded since.[5]
Deatonville lies along the route[6] followed by Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his army in their westward retreat during the final days of the Civil War, before the surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. Numerous roadside historical marker signs line the route, including one at Deatonville that reads as follows:[7]
During this day [April 6], the entire Confederate line would march west on the Rice-Deatonville Road toward Farmville. Constantly pressing Lee's rearguard, Union troops would fight a brief action at every turn. These delays would eventually lead to the Battle of [Sayler's] Creek.
A historical plaque at Deatonville provides more extensive details.[8]
Wootton House near Deatonville, built around 1850, is an I-house with Gothic Revival elements. The property, along with its associated structures, has been studied for possible listing on the National Register of Historic Places.[9] Farmer House, several miles south of Deatonville, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[10]
References
- ^ Virginius Cornick Hall Jr. "Virginia Post Offices, 1798-1859", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 81, no. 1, January 1973, page 62. Virginia Historical Society. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form, Sayler's Creek Battlefield, National Park Service. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ Henry Gannett. A Gazetteer of Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, Bulletin No. 232, Series F: Geography, 40, page 48. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1904. Accessed December 14, 2021.
- ^ Richard Edwards, Statistical Gazetteer of the State of Virginia -- 1854. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ History of Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Amelia County, Sandy Creek Baptist Church website. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ From Richmond and Petersburg to Appomattox (map), Civil War Trails, Williamsburg, VA. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ Deatonville: Lee's Retreat, April 6, 1865, The Historical Marker Database, J.J. Prats, editor and publisher, Powell, Ohio. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ Deatonville: "Continuous Shifting Battle", Lee's Retreat, The Historical Marker Database. Accessed November 20, 2021.
- ^ Valerie N. Birch, Alison S. Blanton, Mary A. Zirkle. Historic Architectural Survey of Nottoway County, Virginia, pp. iii, 11, 13, 23-25, & 76, and Appendix (p. 116 on pdf). Richmond: Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, May 1996. Accessed December 11, 2021.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.