Hickory Hill (Ashland, Virginia)
Hickory Hill | |
Location | E of Ashland off VA 646, Ashland, Virginia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 37°46′28″N 77°24′47″W / 37.77444°N 77.41306°W |
Area | 640 acres (260 ha) |
Built | 1820 |
NRHP reference No. | 74002121[1] |
VLR No. | 042-0100 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 21, 1974 |
Designated VLR | September 17, 1974[2] |
Hickory Hill is an estate in
History
The Hickory Hill property was long an appendage to
At its height, the estate consisted of 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land, and by 1860 was one of the largest plantations in Virginia, and had over 200 slaves working on it, only one of two such estates in Hanover County with that number of slaves, and one of nine in the entire state.[3]
Hickory Hill produced wheat (its major crop), corn, oats, and a small amount of tobacco. Fruits and vegetables were also grown, but probably for consumption on the plantation. Unlike other Hanover County plantations, which sold locally, Hickory Hill sold its produce in Richmond where it brought a higher price. It had its own stop, Wickham Station, just below the manor house on the former Virginia Central Railroad.[5][3]
Cemetery
Included on the grounds of the estate is the Hickory Hill Slave and African American Cemetery on Providence Church Road, in use from circa 1820 through circa 1938. The 4.25 acres (1.72 ha) cemetery is enclosed by a white vinyl post-and-board fence which was constructed some time after 2010. Some burials may have taken place outside of the fenced-in area. Not all burial sites have gravestones, some are mere depressions in the ground. A survey found about 149 interment sites, with the strong possibility of there being more. However, poor maintenance in the 20th century, especially loss of a temporary brush arbor visible in 1980, perhaps associated with logging damage in that decade, took its toll.[3]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Dunkel, D. Reber; Green, Joanna Wilson; McDonald, Lena; Bowman, Brendan; and Clark, John (February 2020) "National Register of Historic Place Registration Form: Hickory Hill Slave and African American Cemetery" Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- ^ "Hickory Hill". Oldandsold.com. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
- ^ Larry Z. Daily (2004-06-28). "Wickham, Virginia". Piedmontsub.com. Retrieved 2016-07-03.