Shadwell, Virginia

Shadwell, Virginia
CDP
A view of the Rivanna River in Shadwell
Nickname:  "Birthplace of Thomas Jefferson"
Shadwell, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°00′44.5782″N 78°25′4.0002″W / 38.012382833°N 78.417777833°W / 38.012382833; -78.417777833
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Albemarle
Elevation	361 ft (110 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	22947
Area code	434

Shadwell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is located by the Rivanna River near Charlottesville. The site today is marked by a Virginia Historical Marker to mark the birthplace of President Thomas Jefferson.^[1] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with Clifton.^[2]

Before early colonists moved into the Shadwell area, Monacan people had trails that traversed what became Shadwell. Peter Jefferson, the father of President Thomas Jefferson established and named the Shadwell plantation in the mid-18th century. Four generations of the Jefferson family lived at Shadwell. Initially, it was a plantation worked by enslaved and free people and grew tobacco, grain, and clover. Then, a grist mill, sawmill, and carding factory expanded the Shadwell economy. Canals and locks were constructed in the Rivanna River to transport goods, including lumber, flour, grain, and cotton-yard. After the carding factory burned down in the 1850s and the Louisa Railroad was completed, Shadwell began to decline economically. After that, the Shadwell estate became a farm, operated by Downing Smith. In 1991, an archaeological study found remnants of foundations and cellars of two houses, one of which is believed to be the original Jefferson house.

Located within the Shadwell, Virginia area are the Clifton and Edge Hill historic homes.