Dunnsville in Essex County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Fort Lowry

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, December 6, 2009

1. Fort Lowry Marker

Inscription. Here in 1861 Confederates constructed an eight gun "water battery" principally for the defense of Fredericksburg. The guns were manned by the 55th Infantry Regiment located 500 yards N.W. The cannons were moved and the fort abandoned March 1862 after Northern Neck troop withdrawal left unit defenseless. On April 14, 1862, six Union gun boats bombarded and burned the installation. Thereafter, the fort functioned in limited capacity until the war ended.

Erected 1981. (Marker Number N-29.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1862.

Location. 37° 53.676′ N, 76° 47.685′ W. Marker is in Dunnsville, Virginia, in Essex County. It is on River Place (Virginia Route 680) 0.3 miles north of Shellfield Road ( Route 666), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dunnsville VA 22454, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Lowry - Camp Byron (approx. 2.9 miles away); Site of Rappahannock Industrial Academy (approx. 3.8 miles away); Old Folks Home

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(approx. 3.8 miles away); Rappahannock Industrial Academy (approx. 3.8 miles away); The Manning House (approx. 4.2 miles away); Enduring Records (approx. 4.2 miles away); The Golden Leaf that Built a Port (approx. 4.2 miles away); Max Silver (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dunnsville.

Also see . . . On the Road in Essex County - N-29 Fort Lowry. 2019 article by Zorine Shirley at the River County News. Scroll down for the section on Fort Lowry. Excerpt:

In 1862, after a year of construction, the fort was vacated because Confederate commanders abandoned the Northern Neck leaving the fort defenseless. The cannons were moved upstream to Fredericksburg and on April 14th of that same year, Fort Lowry was destroyed before a single hostile shot was fired. The 55th went on to serve with Lee. The Union gun boats that destroyed Fort Lowry, occupied Tappahannock for a short time before moving further north.

(Submitted on September 17, 2020.)

Fort Lowry marker on Rappahannock River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, December 6, 2009

2. Fort Lowry marker on Rappahannock River

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, December 6, 2009

3. Fort Lowry marker on Rappahannock River

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,646 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.