An open-air shelter provides orientation exhibits. A five-mile driving tour and several walking trails provide access to key spots on the 1864 battlefield.
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Type
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Location
The Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter
Historical Sites, Historical Sites
Hiking, Scenic Drives and Trails
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Historical Sites, Historical Sites
Prior to Independence, the predecessor of the American Episcopal Church was the Anglican Church, known generally as the Church of England. Virginia law required its colonists to attend and support that church, which made it unpopular with many of them.
Orange Historic Downtown
Historic Towns & Villages, Historical Sites, Historic Towns & Villages, Historical Sites
Shopping
Restaurants, Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
In 1749, the unincorporated town of Orange Court House became the county seat. The Town was incorporated in 1872; in 1890, the official name was shortened to Orange.
James Madison’s Montpelier
Historical Sites, Museums, Presidential Homes & Sites, Historical Sites, Museums, Presidential Homes & Sites
Scenic Drives and Trails
The lifelong home of James Madison, “Father of the Constitution” and fourth President of the United States, was also home to three generations of the Madison family from 1723 to 1844. The mansion core was built by Madison’s father c.1760.
Gordonsville, VA
Historic Towns & Villages, Historical Sites, Historic Towns & Villages, Historical Sites
Gilmore Cabin
Historical Homes, Historical Sites, Historical Homes, Historical Sites
George Gilmore, a former enslaved African at Montpelier, built this home after his emancipation. George and his wife, Polly, leased the land from Dr. James Madison (a great-nephew of President Madison) in the late 1860s.
Exchange Hotel Civil War Museum
Historical Sites, Museums, Historical Sites, Museums
Before the Civil War, the Exchange Hotel with its high ceiling parlors and grand veranda welcomed passengers from the two rail lines: the Virginia Central Railroad and the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Current Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm
Ellwood Manor
Historical Homes, Historical Sites, Historical Homes, Historical Sites
William Jones built Ellwood circa 1790, and he or his descendants would own the place for the next century. In 1825, Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette dined at Ellwood during his triumphant tour of America. Other founding fathers, such as James Madison and James Monroe, may have stopped here, too.
Barboursville Winery
Historical Sites, Historical Sites
Restaurants, Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
Bed & Breakfast
The wines of Barboursville Vineyards are consistently honored in competitions and demanded by wine stewards. The Inn is the only place on earth where the house within sight of your bedroom is a historic landmark designed by Thomas Jefferson. Palladio Restaurant is respected by food enthusiasts of every generation and critical perspective, extending to the […]
Barboursville Ruins
Historical Sites, Historical Sites
Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
Barboursville Ruins is the only building in Orange County known to have been designed by Thomas Jefferson. It was constructed between 1814 and 1822 for Jefferson’s friend James Barbour, Governor of Virginia (1812-1814).
1859 Orange Courthouse
Historical Sites, Historical Sites
A radical departure from the traditional Classical style Virginia courthouse, this building illustrates the public acceptance of exotic taste in late antebellum times.