Our Dogged Pursuit of History and Outdoor Fun
Fun Fact: Lake Chesdin’s name combines Chesterfield and Dinwiddie Counties in a portmanteau.
We rated our impressions after spending a few days cruising (windows down, ears flapping) around the delightfully dog friendly county of Dinwiddie and city of Petersburg.*
*While Petersburg is an independent city, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes.
Ratings are based on dog friendliness and we awarded 5 out of 5 stars to each category!
- Things to See & Do ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Where We Ate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Where We Stayed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things to See & Do ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Historic Old Town Petersburg
We used the Petersburg Battle app during our visit. Its map of the city highlights several historic sites.
Peter Jones Trading Station, c. 1665
600-698 N Market St.
Except for this structure, not much remains of Fort Henry, which protected settlers from Powhatan uprisings.
Blandford Church and Cemetery, c. 1735
111 Rochelle Ln.
None other than Louis Tiffany designed the stained glass windows at Blandford Church. Here’s another fascinating tidbit: Its cemetery inspired Memorial Day. After the Civil War, the wife of Union Commander General John Logan felt deeply moved seeing schoolgirls place flowers on soldiers’ graves at the Blandford Cemetery. Mary Logan relayed this to her husband who then instituted this annual tradition nationwide to occur at the end of May.
Battersea Estate, c. 1768
1289 Upper Appomattox St.
John Banister, the first mayor of Petersburg, lived here.
Jarratt House, c. 1820
221 Logan St.
You’re looking at the oldest building on Pocahontas Island, one of the oldest Black communities in the nation.
Thomas Wallace House, c. 1855
204 S. Market St.
General Ulysses S. Grant briefly used this house as his headquarters during the battle of Petersburg. President Lincoln’s final visit with General Grant took place here on April 3, 1865.
For his acclaimed movie Lincoln, Steven Spielberg chose to film many scenes in Petersburg due to its numerous historic buildings.
Here’s more local trivia about the film: Dinwiddie County native Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley inspired the role of Mary Todd Lincoln’s close confidante.
Elizabeth Keckley historical marker. Boydton Plank Road (U.S. 1) at the intersection with Karla Drive, Dewitt
We LOVE Petersburg!
Petersburg National Battlefield
Siege Road, Petersburg
The Petersburg Battle app provided a wealth of information for our tour through the battlefield.
The battle started here.
The siege at Petersburg lasted 292 days and led to the demise of the Confederacy.
These earthworks and defensive fortifications recreate the cover used by Confederates during the battle.
Jake takes note of “The Dictator.” This mortar required its own specially designed rail car due to its density. Guess how much it weighs? If you guessed over 17,000 pounds, then you are correct.
Before the Union Army could take down the Confederate Capital of Richmond, they needed to capture Petersburg and its railroads which served as a major supply hub.
The tunnel entrance
A Union private, from the Pennsylvania coal mines, opined that a blast of gun powder would annihilate the Confederate side “if we could run a mine shaft under it.” His unit’s Lieutenant Colonel heard the remark and ordered the unit to start digging.
Jake at the tunnel entrance.
On July 30, 1864, after weeks of excavation, Union soldiers packed the tunnel with 4 tons of gun powder and lit the fuse. The explosion killed hundreds of Confederate soldiers.
The 2002 movie Cold Mountain includes a scene with the explosion from the Battle of Petersburg.
After the explosion, the Union Army’s opportunity to win the battle went up in smoke. Months of digging and planning ended in disorganization which gave the Confederate Army time to regroup. The Battle of Petersburg continued for many more months.
The crater
Today, visitors can see remnants of the crater that resulted from the explosion.
Five Forks Battlefield
9840 Courthouse Rd., Dinwiddie
The Petersburg Battle app contains an overview of the Battle of Five Forks which ended the siege of Petersburg and marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
The pack enjoyed exploring the trails on the Five Forks Battlefield.
Called “the Waterloo of the Confederacy,” the Battle of Five Forks occurred at the intersection of three roads in Dinwiddie County that still exists today. General Phillip Sheridan arrived to end the prolonged fighting at Petersburg. Due to his leadership, the Union defeated the Confederates in one day, April 1, 1865, and gained control of the last major Confederate supply line.
A view of Five Forks from Google Earth
The Tombstone House
1736 Young’s Rd., Petersburg
Here’s something you don’t see every day – a house constructed from tombstones.
According to Atlas Obscura, the Poplar Lawn Cemetery became the final resting place for Union soldiers killed at Petersburg. Decades later, during the Great Depression, the Cemetery needed to reduce maintenance costs. To do so, workers transformed the upright tombstones into flat ones by cleaving off the bottom halves and placing the upper halves with the soldiers’ information flat on the ground. The cemetery sold the 2,200 bottom halves for a total of $45 to local citizen Oswald Young who used them to build his home and walkway.
Going to the Dogs
Dinwiddie Animal Shelter
10903 Wheelers Pond Road, Dinwiddie
Check out these delightful Dinwiddie doggos on Petfinder who need to find forever homes.
We also learned about the shelter’s Amazon Wish List for anyone who wishes to make a donation.
Outdoor Fun
Lake Chesdin
Chesdin Lake Road, Sutherland (37.2210, -77.5283)
I am always happy to take Jake out on the lake, and we liked going out for a spin on Lake Chesdin. This is one big lake (3,100 acres) and also home to a lot of big bass.
Appomattox Riverside Park
24909 Ferndale Rd., Petersburg
Appomattox Riverside Park (also known as Ferndale Park) checked all of the boxes. Mack fished while I hiked with the pack.
Where We Ate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maria’s Old Town 21
21 West Old St., Petersburg
Get the gelato!
Saucy’s BBQ
257 E. Bank St., Ste. C, Petersburg
Try the tofu tacos!
Trapezium Brewing Company
423 3rd St., Petersburg
The Trapezium staff took good care of us when we stopped by for a (delicious!) pizza & got caught in a downpour. Here’s our view of all the dog friendly seating during the storm. The thunder starts about 5 seconds into the video.
Where We Stayed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Photo from AirBnb
We highly recommend renting this AirBnb Home Oasis in Colonial Heights. Aptly named, the home oasis provided everything we needed for a comfortable stay, including a fenced yard for the 4-legged family members.
Photo from AirBnb
Check out our favorite spot – the backyard hangout!
Road Trip Reads
These books, all found on Audible, provide Civil War-era history on Dinwiddie County and the city of Petersburg.
Roving through Virginia with Rover 
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