HISTORIC PLACES GUIDE

National Register of Historic Places

Shirley

Shirley is a historic place in Hopewell, Charles City County, Virginia, listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1969, and designated a National Historic Landmark. Its National Register reference number is 69000328.

Hopewell, Charles City County, VirginiaListed October 1, 1969NRIS #69000328★ National Historic Landmark
Photograph of Shirley
Photo: Shirley via Wikimedia Commons — see the file page for author and license. Image source
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Location 01

Shirley

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About this place

What is Shirley?

Shirley Plantation is an estate on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located off scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virginia, settled in 1613 and is also the oldest family-owned business in North America, when it was acquired by the Hill family, with operations starting in 1638. White indentured servants were initially used as the main labor force until the early 1700s, when Black slavery became the primary source of Virginian labor. It used about 70 to 90 African slaves at a time for plowing the fields, cleaning, childcare, and cooking. It was added to the National Register in 1969 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. After the acquisition, rebranding, and merger of Tuttle Farm in Dover, New Hampshire, Shirley Plantation received the title of the oldest business continuously operating in the United States.

Source: Wikipedia, text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Listing details

Name
Shirley
City
Hopewell
County
Charles City County
State
Virginia
Listed on the National Register
October 1, 1969
NRIS reference number
69000328
Resource type
building
National Historic Landmark
Yes
Coordinates
37.34266, -77.26094
When was Shirley listed on the National Register?

Shirley was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1969.

Where is Shirley located?

Shirley is located in Hopewell, Charles City County, Virginia at approximately 37.34266, -77.26094. See the map above.

Is Shirley a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Shirley is designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest federal recognition for a historic place.

Nearby on the register

More historic places in Virginia