Kittiewan

Kittiewan is the name of a historic plantation house and associated archaeological property near New Hope in Charles City County, Virginia. The site was originally known as Millford and dates to the eighteenth century. It represents a medium-sized Colonial-period Tidewater plantation house, built primarily as a wood-frame structure and organized around a one-and-a-half-story main block with a gable roof. An original gable-roofed ell and a later lean-to addition form part of the building's historic architectural development. The property is significant both for its architecture and for its connection with Virginia's colonial and Revolutionary-era history. The first known owner was Dr. William Rickman, who served as the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army in Virginia during the American Revolution. The house therefore provides a link between local plantation society, regional domestic architecture, and the organization of military medical services during the Revolutionary period. Kittiewan is not a consumer product, operating company, or conventional brand with a product portfolio, commercial headquarters, or listed parent. Stewardship of the house and approximately 720 acres of surrounding land is administered by the Archeological Society of Virginia. The property is accessible to the public by appointment, reflecting its role as a managed historic and archaeological resource rather than a continuously open tourist attraction. The site was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Its historical interpretation expanded in June 2024 when what is believed to be a mass grave for Black Union soldiers was discovered on the grounds. The burial feature may be connected with the Battle of Saint Mary's Church, fought in June 1864 during the American Civil War. The discovery adds an important Civil War dimension to a property already associated with colonial, Revolutionary, and plantation-era history, while also underscoring the need for archaeological investigation and careful interpretation. For encyclopedia purposes, Kittiewan is best treated as a historic property or heritage site. The supplied taxonomy does not provide a dedicated heritage-site category, so it is retained under the broad 'other' classification. Commercial attributes such as founding date, revenue, product lines, executives, and stock listing are not applicable or are not documented in the available reference material.

Kittiewan is a historic plantation house near New Hope in Charles City County, Virginia. The property was originally called Millford and was established during the eighteenth century, when plantation houses in Virginia's Tidewater region commonly combined domestic residence, agricultural administration, and the social functions of an estate. The available historical record identifies Dr. William Rickman as the first known owner. Rickman held an important Revolutionary-era military medical position as the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army in Virginia, giving the property an association with the organization of wartime medical care as well as with local plantation history. Architecturally, Kittiewan is a representative medium-sized Colonial-period Virginia Tidewater house. Its principal section is a one-and-a-half-story wood-frame structure covered by a gable roof. The building's form was extended by an original gable-roofed ell and, later, by a lean-to addition. These components document the incremental growth of a domestic building over time rather than the creation of a single, fully unified structure. The surviving arrangement is important to the interpretation of eighteenth-century residential architecture in the region. The house is situated within a large historic property of approximately 720 acres. The grounds are relevant not only because they preserve the setting of the house but also because archaeological evidence can reveal the lives, labor systems, settlement patterns, and conflicts associated with the estate. Management and stewardship are administered by the Archeological Society of Virginia. Public access is available by appointment, allowing the property to be used for heritage interpretation while accommodating the preservation and archaeological needs of the site. Kittiewan was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. National Register recognition formally acknowledged the property's historical and architectural importance and placed it within the broader framework of American historic preservation. Its significance spans several periods: the colonial era in which the house was built, the Revolutionary era associated with Dr. Rickman, the plantation economy and society that shaped the property, and the Civil War era represented by later archaeological evidence. In June 2024, investigators discovered what is thought to be a mass grave for Black Union soldiers on the grounds. The burial may have resulted from the Battle of Saint Mary's Church, which took place in June 1864. If the connection is confirmed, the feature would provide material evidence of the experiences and losses of Black soldiers during the Civil War and would broaden the historical narrative of Kittiewan beyond the house itself. The discovery also demonstrates the continuing archaeological importance of the surrounding acreage. Kittiewan does not have the characteristics of a modern commercial brand. There is no documented consumer product range, corporate marketing program, public-company listing, or commercial operating market associated with the name in the supplied sources. Its present identity is that of a preserved historic property administered for public interpretation and archaeological stewardship.

• 2024

  Possible Civil War mass grave identified

  [1]Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org

  A suspected mass grave for Black Union soldiers was discovered on the grounds, possibly connected with the Battle of Saint Mary's Church.

• 1978

  Added to the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org

  Kittiewan received formal recognition on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

• Construction of the plantation house

  [1]Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org

  Kittiewan, then known as Millford, was built during the eighteenth century as a Colonial-period Virginia Tidewater plantation house.

• First known ownership by William Rickman

  [1]Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. William Rickman is identified as the first known owner. He later became the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army in Virginia during the American Revolution.

A preserved Virginia Tidewater plantation house and archaeological heritage site interpreted through its colonial, Revolutionary-era, plantation, and Civil War histories.

• 2024

  Possible mass grave for Black Union soldiers discovered at Kittiewan[1]Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A burial feature believed to be a mass grave for Black Union soldiers was identified on the Kittiewan grounds. The discovery may relate to the Battle of Saint Mary's Church in June 1864 and could add significant Civil War context to the site's existing colonial and Revolutionary-era interpretation.

1. 1Kittiewanen.wikipedia.org