NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Groups can discover stories from the fierce battles fought around Newport News at two new history-themed tours. Local historian J. Michael Moore leads groups to tours of “Lee Hall Mansion and Lee’s Mill” and “Endview Plantation and Dam No. 1.”
On both tours, groups will learn about Newport News’ important position on the James River, which led to the city’s important role in the Civil War.
At the 1859 Lee Hall Mansion, guests will learn about the how the mid-Victorian Italianate structure became Confederate headquarters during the war. Authentically furnished rooms and information on Lee’s agricultural endeavors create a picture of life in the elegant plantation home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The tour also stops at Lee’s Mill where Union forces marched towards in 1862. The mill overlooks a 40-foot bluff above the Warwick River where Union forces encountered 1,800 Confederate troops and flames that halted the Union advance.
On the second tour, groups explore the 1769 Endview Plantation, which became a Confederate hospital during the Civil War. On the National Register of Historic Places, the home’s furnishings reflect both the civilian and military use during the Civil War.
The tour then stops at the site of the Battle of Dam No. 1 in Newport News Park. Ten miles of earthwork fortifications remain well preserved for guests to walk beside. The park’s Discovery Center showcases artifacts and other exhibits on the battle, which once stopped a Union breakthrough. For more information, visit www.newport-news.org or contact Barb Kleiss, group marketing manager at bkleiss@nnva.gov.
