The Gordonsville Exchange Hotel was built in 1859 and opened it's doors in 1860. A prime stop along the railroad, it welcomed weary travelers into it's rooms for a good night's sleep and good food. Built in Georgian and Italianate architectural style, the hotel boast 3 stories with wide front steps that lead directly to the second floor entrance way. Two shady porches extend the length of the hotel providing shaded sitting areas for visitors on the ground and second floors. The grounds are beautifully decorated with walk ways and flower beds. Also on the grounds there is a second building that was originally used as the kitchen and bakery. The Gordonsville Train Depot is within site and walking distance of the hotel. Currently, it is being restored by Historic Gordonsville, Inc.
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Gordonsville Train Depot at the Exchange Hotel |
Unfortunately, in March of 1862 the hotel was transformed into the Gordonsville Receiving Hospital. From that point until October 1865, the hospital was under the direction of a doctor from South Carolina, Dr. B.M Lebby.
During the time of three and a half years, the hospital treated the dying and the wounded from the battlefields of Trevillian Station, Mine Run, Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness. Over 70,000 men were brought to the hospital from the different battlefields using the railroad system. A little over 700 men died and were buried on the property including 26 Union soldiers, but have since been moved to the Maplewood Cemetery just across town in Gordonsville. It is the only receiving hospital still standing in the state of Virginia.The building once as the kitchen and bakery was believed to be turned into a dead house to house the dead soldiers waiting to be buried or shipped by train to other burial sites.
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"Dead House" |
During the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, the hospital became known as the Freedman's Bureau Hospital. It served the needs of the newly freed slaves across the region. As the railroad industry boomed, the hotel was restored to it's original purpose of serving travelers.
The hotel was restored by the Historic Gordonsville, Inc. in 1971 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2002 it received recognition as an African-American Memorial Site.
For more information of the Gordonsville Exchange Hotel as well as visitor information, please visit their
website.
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