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<div class="vw-place-intro">Overlooking the Rappahannock River and [[Fredericksburg, Virginia]], Chatham Manor brings together the story of a colonial-era plantation, the people who lived and labored there, and the Civil War battles that reached its grounds. Today, the National Park Service preserves the house and landscape as part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The grounds and historic house have different visiting hours, so check the park’s current schedule before setting out.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/chatham-manor-300178.htm
|title=Chatham Manor Cultural Landscape
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/hours.htm
|title=Operating Hours & Seasons
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref></div>

== Visiting Chatham Manor ==
Chatham Manor is at 120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405. As of the National Park Service’s posted schedule for October 2026, the grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset; the gate is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the main building is open and staffed on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours can change with the season, so confirm the official schedule before visiting, especially if you hope to go inside.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/hours.htm
|title=Operating Hours & Seasons
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

Admission details are not listed in the park’s current hours information. For a day-of-visit question, call the park at 540-693-3200 and select option 2 to speak with staff at a visitor center or Chatham.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/frsp/contacts.htm
|title=Contact Us
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

== What to see ==
When the house is open, visitors can explore exhibits about the plantation and the grounds’ Civil War history. The interior is arranged as a museum rather than as a furnished historic house. Park staff and volunteers may also be available to answer questions and provide visitor information.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/historic-buildings.htm
|title=Historic Buildings
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

The grounds offer a broader view of the site’s history: look for the walled garden, historic outbuildings, river-facing terraces, and views across the Rappahannock toward Fredericksburg. A National Park Service grounds map identifies interpretive stops around the property and helps visitors make sense of its layers of use.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/upload/Chatham-Grounds-Map.pdf
|title=Chatham Grounds Map: Beyond the Big House
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

== History and significance ==
William Fitzhugh built the Georgian-style manor between 1768 and 1771 as the center of a plantation worked by enslaved people. The site’s history includes the lives and labor of enslaved and free people, as well as the changing landscape of the estate and its relationship to Fredericksburg across the river.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/chatham-manor-300178.htm
|title=Chatham Manor Cultural Landscape
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

During the Civil War, Union forces used Chatham as a headquarters and field hospital. The house and grounds were caught up in the Battle of Fredericksburg and later fighting in the area. The property’s story also extends beyond the war: its gardens and other landscape features reflect later periods of ownership and restoration.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/news/chatham-reopens.htm
|title=Historic Chatham Reopens June 6 After Major Rehabilitation Project
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|date=2026-06-03
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/chatham-manor-300178.htm
|title=Chatham Manor Cultural Landscape
|website=National Park Service
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

== Planning your visit ==
Chatham’s grounds and house do not share the same schedule: the grounds are generally open longer than the staffed interior. The park notes that operating hours and programs vary over the year, so check its current hours page before traveling. The house reopened to visitors on June 6, 2026, after rehabilitation work; check for any new notices before your visit.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://home.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/hours.htm
|title=Operating Hours & Seasons
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/news/chatham-reopens.htm
|title=Historic Chatham Reopens June 6 After Major Rehabilitation Project
|website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
|publisher=National Park Service
|date=2026-06-03
|access-date=2026-10-24
}}</ref>

Chatham is one of several locations managed by Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. For more battlefield history nearby, consider [[Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park]] and [[Fredericksburg, Virginia]].

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== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/hours.htm National Park Service: Operating Hours & Seasons]
* [https://home.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/historic-buildings.htm National Park Service: Historic Buildings]
* [https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/upload/Chatham-Grounds-Map.pdf National Park Service: Chatham Grounds Map]
* [https://www.nps.gov/articles/chatham-manor-300178.htm National Park Service: Chatham Manor Cultural Landscape]
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