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Shadwell, Virginia

Burned buildings and structures in the United StatesHarv and Sfn no-target errorsHouses in Albemarle County, VirginiaJefferson family residencesPresidential homes in the United States
Rivana River 1
Rivana River 1

Shadwell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is located by the Rivanna River near Charlottesville. The site today is marked by a Virginia Historical Marker to mark the birthplace of President Thomas Jefferson. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with Clifton.Before early colonists moved into the Shadwell area, Monacan people had trails that traversed what became Shadwell. Peter Jefferson, the father of President Thomas Jefferson established and named the Shadwell plantation in the mid-18th century. Four generations of the Jefferson family lived at Shadwell. Initially, it was a plantation worked by enslaved and free people and grew tobacco, grain, and clover. Then, a grist mill, sawmill, and carding factory expanded the Shadwell economy. Canals and locks were constructed in the Rivanna River to transport goods, including lumber, flour, grain, and cotton-yard. After the carding factory burned down in the 1850s and the Louisa Railroad was completed, Shadwell began to decline economically. After that, the Shadwell estate became a farm, operated by Downing Smith. In 1991, an archaeological study found remnants of foundations and cellars of two houses, one of which is believed to be the original Jefferson house. Located within the Shadwell, Virginia area are the Clifton and Edge Hill historic homes.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Shadwell, Virginia (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Shadwell, Virginia
Auburn Hill Farm,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 38.012382833333 ° E -78.417777833333 °
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Address

East Massie

Auburn Hill Farm
22902
Virginia, United States
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Clifton (Shadwell, Virginia)
Clifton (Shadwell, Virginia)

Clifton is a historic home located near Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia. It was built about 1800, and is a large, rambling two-story, five-bay, wood frame dwelling. The house has later 19th- and 20th-century Colonial Revival-style additions and alterations. The front facade features a double level porch, added about 1930, and the interior has Federal details. Also on the property are the contributing brick office (c. 1833–1845); the ruins of an early 19th-century spring house; the shaft of a 19th-century stone-lined ice house; an early 20th-century chicken coop and an altered 1920s brick garage.Clifton was built by Congressman and Virginia Governor Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. (1768–1828), who was married to Martha Jefferson, the daughter of President Thomas Jefferson. It was part of the never-to-be port of North Milton, a sister port to the now extinct village of Milton directly across the Rivanna River. With his partners, Randolph planned North Milton to support commercial and agricultural development, situated along the Milton Canal of the Rivanna River. The Clifton house first began as a warehouse and Randolph had a separate office building, which is still on the Clifton grounds. The house was expanded later and during the 19th century it had a one-story veranda, which has been replaced by the portico. Situated on 100 acres, it has operated as an inn since 1983. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.