Summer Visitor Services Volunteer/City Point

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Volunteers will help thousands of visitors discover and enjoy Petersburg National Battlefield as they become an integral part of the Visitor Experience and Interpretation Team. Volunteers will work at the Appomattox Plantation House where the lower floor was converted into a small visitor center. In addition to assisting visitors in an indoor environment, volunteers will have the opportunity to complete other projects throughout the park.

Requirements:

• Live in Hopewell or the surrounding area.
• Be available for at least one Saturday or Sunday afternoon, a month.
• Properly wear the Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) uniform while on official duty.

Goals for This Position to Accomplish:

• Create a positive, welcoming first impression of Petersburg National Battlefield through excellent customer service and engaging discussions about the park and its history.
• Provide engaging, informative, and relevant responses to visitor trip planning enquiries and questions.

Brief Description of Work to be Performed:

• Greet and welcome visitors to the visitor center and park. Distribute Park maps and other printed brochures.
• Walk visitors through the lower level of the home and share the stories associated with City Point.
• Inform visitors of special events, ranger programs, and the rules and regulations of the park.
• Follow procedures for lost and found items as needed.
• Ask for help or guidance when unsure of answer.
• Assist with special programming and events.

About General Grant's Headquarters at City Point:

The land between the Appomattox River and the James River was the family home and plantation of the Eppes family since colonial times. City Point was part of a vast 2,300-acre plantation that relied on the labor of more than 130 enslaved people. With the arrival of United States forces, City Point became a base of operations for the U.S. Quartermaster. General Grant arrived at City Point on June 15, 1864. His headquarters was in a tent on the east lawn of the Eppes' family plantation. The cabin was built in November 1864 and is the only remaining structure from a series of 22 log cabins erected for Grant and his staff. Grant's wife and son Jesse stayed with him during the last three months of the siege. City Point also hosted President Lincoln during his visits to the front, first in June 1864 and again in March-April 1865. Today, City Point includes lands overlooking the Appomattox and James Rivers, the Appomattox Plantation House, the Kitchen/Laundry, Smoke Houses, and Dairy. A partial reconstruction of the cabin that served as Grant's headquarters is on the site.

About Petersburg National Battlefield:

Petersburg National Battlefield commemorates the 1864-65 siege of Petersburg, VA during the Civil War. General Grant’s goal was to cut off supply lines to the Confederate capital, Richmond. The siege ended when U.S. troops captured Petersburg and Richmond on April 3, 1865. General Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox Court House one week later. The park is comprised four separate units: Grant’s Headquarters at City Point, the Eastern Front, the Western Front, and the Five Forks Battlefield - that lay to the east, south, and west of Petersburg.

Petersburg National Battlefield preserves the historic sites, structures, and landscapes where the Civil War campaign, siege, and defense of Petersburg took place, and fosters an understanding of these events, their causes, impacts, and legacy to individuals, the community, and the nation.

About Hopewell, Virginia: Visit HPG - Hopewell / Prince George VA

Start Date - 2024-05-18

End Date - 2024-09-01

Activities include: General Assistance;Research/Librarian;Visitor Information