Studley Road Vista Offers Glimpse Into Past

When you look out over the fields east of the Civil War monuments at Enon United Methodist Church on Studley Road, in a sense it's like stepping back in time.

One of the Civil War's biggest cavalry battles was fought in those fields on May 28, 1864 - the battle of Haw's Shop.

"The vista has not changed one bit since 1864," says David Ruth, assistant superintendent of the National Park Service in Richmond. "It's a great example of the kind of unique historic assets that Hanover County possesses."

The battle was named after a nearby machine shop that no longer exists. However, the home of John Haw, which served as a field hospital during the battle, is still a residence.

A precursor to the battle of Cold Harbor, the engagement between Union and Confederate cavalry was a bloody stalemate until the arrival of a Michigan brigade commanded by Gen. George Armstrong Custer, whose place in history was sealed a decade later in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

The National Park Service would like to preserve Haw's Shop and other nationally significant battlefields in Hanover County and will work with willing sellers. For more information call 804-226-1981, extension 29.