Shadwell, Virginia

Shadwell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is located by the Rivanna River near Charlottesville. It was the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson, the central intellectual force behind the American Revolution, author of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. The site is marked by a Virginia Historical Marker, which indicates it as Jefferson's birthplace. Along with Clifton, it has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Before early colonists moved into the Shadwell area during the colonial era, Monacan people had trails that traversed present-day Shadwell. Jefferson's father, Peter Jefferson, established and named the Shadwell plantation in the mid-18th century. Four generations of the Jefferson family lived at Shadwell, which was initially a plantation, where both enslaved and free people grew tobacco, grain, and clover.

Shadwell later became a grist mill, sawmill, and carding factory, which expanded its 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 house where Peter Jefferson and his son Thomas lived and worked.

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