Maplewood, Virginia

History

Civil War

Maplewood lies along the route followed by Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his army in their retreat during the final days of the Civil War, a phase known as the Appomattox campaign. Numerous roadside historical marker signs have been erected along the route, including an official one on modern-day US 360 at Maplewood that reads as follows: The last major battle fought by Lee's army occurred a few miles west at Sayler's Creek, on the border of Amelia and Prince Edward counties, on April 6, just before the surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9.

Tornadoes

Amelia County is located in a small Central Virginia tornado alley and has had numerous tornado touchdowns. Tornadoes of note include the twister of April 30, 1924, which killed one person and injured seven others. Traveling from Jetersville to Chula, it destroyed seven homes in Maplewood and then passed east of the courthouse area.

Landfill

In 1993, despite legal action by local residents, the Maplewood Recycling and Waste Disposal Facility opened, replacing the previous county-operated landfill. With entrance from Maplewood Road west of Buckskin Creek Road, the complex currently covers a total area of 794 acres, more than a square mile, and is owned and operated by Waste Management of Virginia, Inc. In the aftermath of the 2014 coal-ash spill in Eden, North Carolina, in which some 39,000 tons of waste flowed into the Dan River, Duke Energy shipped 750 tons of the remaining coal ash via rail from its containment pond at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden to the Maplewood facility.

References

References

1. J.J. Prats, editor and publisher. [https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=86137 "Lee's Retreat", Virginia marker M-12], ''[[The Historical Marker Database]]'', Powell, Ohio. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
2. [https://vcris.dhr.virginia.gov/HistoricMarkers/ Marker M-12], ''Marker Online Database Search'', [[Virginia Department of Historic Resources]]. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
3. Jefferson]], NC: [[McFarland & Company]], 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
4. [[Henry Gannett]]. [https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0232/report.pdf#page=96 ''A Gazetteer of Virginia''], [[US Geological Survey]], Bulletin No. 232, Series F: Geography, 40, page 96. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1904. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
5. (August 2025)
6. (2019-09-24). "Front of rail map print". [[Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation]] (DRPT).
7. Bill Sammler. (July 1, 2008). "Tornado History". Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM)-Vaemergency.gov.
8. [https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=TFH19910227.1.1&srpos=4&e=--1991---1993--en-20-TFH-1--txt-txIN-maplewood-------/ "Decision May Be Appealed"], ''[[The Farmville Herald]]'', Volume 101, Number 42, 27 February 1991, page 1. Retrieved from ''Virginia Chronicle'', [[Library of Virginia]], April 28, 2023.
9. [https://www.ameliacova.com/Document%20Center/Court/Getting%20to%20Know%20Your%20Maplewood%20Landfill%20(PDF).pdf "Getting to Know Your Maplewood Landfill"], Amelia County Department of Environmental Management, May 24, 2021. Amelia County, Virginia: Official government website. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
10. Charles A. Grymes. [http://www.virginiaplaces.org/waste/maplewood.html "Maplewood Recycling and Waste Disposal Facility in Amelia County"], ''Virginia Places''. Retrieved November 16, 2021.