Manassas National Battlefield Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Manassas National Battlefield Park
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)

Location:	Prince William County, Virginia
Nearest city:	Manassas, Virginia
Coordinates:	38°48′46″N, 77°31′18″W
Area:	5,073 acres (20.53 km²)
Established:	May 10, 1940
Total Visitation:	715,622 (in 2005)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Manassas National Battlefield Park, located north of Manassas, Virginia, preserves the site of two major American Civil War battles: the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, and the Second Battle of Bull Run which was fought between August 28 and August 30, 1862 (also known as First Manassas and Second Manassas, respectively). The peaceful Virginia countryside bore witness to clashes between the armies of the North (Union) and South (Confederacy), and it was here that Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson acquired his nickname "Stonewall."

The Stone House, used as a hospital during both battles.

Today the National Battlefield Park provides the opportunity for visitors to explore the historic terrain where men fought and died for their beliefs more than a century ago. As an historic area under the National Park Service, the park was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

The park has two visitor centers: the Henry Hill Visitor Center, on Sudley Road by the south entrance to the park, offers exhibits and interpretation regarding the First Battle of Bull Run; while the Stuart's Hill Center (currently closed) on the west side of the park does the same regarding the Second Battle. Also encompassed within the park are the remnants of the extinct Civil War era village of Groveton.

The Stone House, at the junction of Lee Highway and the Manassas-Sudley Road, is the best preserved and most conspicuous landmark in the park. During the Civil War the house was twice engulfed in battle, serving alteranately as hospital for the wounded of each site. Shells are still to be seen embedded in the walls, although those were placed there by post-war owners of the house.^{[citation needed]}