Chesterfield in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Eppington
Eppington, about two miles south of here, was built ca. 1770 for Francis Eppes and his wife, Elizabeth Wayles, half-sister of Martha Wayles Jefferson. Two wings were added to the wood-frame house about 1790. More than 100 enslaved African Americans worked on the 4,000-acre plantation. Two of Thomas Jefferson's daughters, Lucy and Mary (later known as Maria), lived here while he served as minister to France. Lucy died here at age two. Maria married John Wayles Eppes, son of Francis and Elizabeth, in 1797 and made Eppington her home. During a visit to Eppington in 1789, Thomas Jefferson received word from Pres. George Washington of his nomination as secretary of state.
Erected 2016 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number M-8.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1770.
Location. 37° 19.753′ N, 77° 43.807′ W. Marker is in Chesterfield, Virginia, in Chesterfield County.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William Ransom Johnson (1782-1849) (approx. 1.2 miles away); Sale of Enslaved People at Oakland (approx. 1.2 miles away); Clover Hill Mining District (approx. 3.6 miles away); Namozine Church (approx. 5˝ miles away); a different
Other markers no longer nearby. Eppington (has been replaced with this marker); William Ransom Johnson (was approx. 1.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
