The Depot at Beaver Dam

The first railroad depot at Beaver Dam was built circa 1840 to serve the farmers of Hanover and Louisa counties. Its strategic location during the Civil War made it a target of many Union raids. During the July 20, 1862, raid, the depot was burned and Colonel John S. Mosby, the Gray Ghost, was captured as he awaited a train to take him to General Stonewall Jackson. Rebuilt after this raid, the depot was burned again by Union troops on February 29, 1864, and on May 9, 1864, the last time by the cavalry of General George A. Custer. The existing depot was rebuilt and rededicated in 1866.

Virginia · United States