Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Damaged but not Destroyed

— Richmond National Battlefield Park —

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2023

1. Damaged but not Destroyed Marker

Inscription. While the 1864 battle raged around their home, members of the Shelton family sought safety within its thick basement walls. Shells from Confederate cannon struck the house many times, terrifying the family inside and causing significant damage.

Walter Shelton, then 14, later recalled, "When a shell would strike the chimney...the dust & soot" in the basement "would be so great that we could hardly breathe." Shells exploded upstairs, setting fires that were extinguished by Union soldiers.

Damage is still visible in the attic and in the jagged mark on the rear wall. But the house, which had stood since approximately 1725, survived. Shelton descendants continued to live and farm here another 140 years.

With the exterior restored to its 1864 appearance, the battle-scarred Shelton House is a reminder both of the wartime experience of all those who lived at Rural Plains, and the larger struggle that brought freedom to its enslaved population.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is May 30, 1864.

Location. 37° 39.651′ N, 77° 20.795′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County.

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Marker can be reached from Studley Road (Virginia Route 606) west of Shelton Pointe Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7273 Studley Rd, Mechanicsville VA 23116, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rural Plains (within shouting distance of this marker); Totopotomoy Creek (within shouting distance of this marker); Totopotomoi (within shouting distance of this marker); Lives on the Line (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Digging In Under Fire (about 600 feet away); Totopotomoy Line (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Totopotomoy Line (approx. half a mile away); Fighting at the Totopotomoy (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location titled "Shelton House Under Fire"

Also see . . . Totopotomoy Creek Battlefield at Rural Plains. National Park Service (Submitted on July 20, 2023.)

Rural Plains (front) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2023

2. Rural Plains (front)

Rural Plains (rear) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2023

3. Rural Plains (rear)

Damage by artillery shelling is still evident. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2023

4. Damage by artillery shelling is still evident.

Bullet lodged in the side of the house. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2023

5. Bullet lodged in the side of the house.

Rural Plains outbuilding and cannon image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2023

6. Rural Plains outbuilding and cannon

Shelton family cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2023

7. Shelton family cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2023, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 83 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 20, 2023, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4, 5. submitted on July 22, 2023, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 6. submitted on July 20, 2023, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 7. submitted on July 22, 2023, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.