The village is the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House, and contains the McLean House, where the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant took place on April 9, 1865, an event widely symbolic of the end of the American Civil War.

The site was greatly enlarged in 1935, and a restoration of the McLean House was planned but was delayed by World War II.

Several restored buildings (including the McLean House and the courthouse), as well as a number of original 19th-century structures are situated at the site.

After discussion, Lee signed surrender terms that day, and on April 12, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia laid down its arms and marched away.

[10] In 1930, the United States Congress passed legislation to have the United States War Department acquire a site at the village for a monument relating to the 1865 surrender, and three years later, the War Department's holdings at Appomattox Court House were transferred to the National Park Service.

World War II delayed reconstruction at the site,[11] but in 1949, the restored McLean House was opened to the public.

[13] The village itself has since been restored by the National Park Service,[14] with a number of original 19th-century structures remaining, including the Clover Hill Tavern.

[15] Besides the surviving original structures, the roughly 1,700-acre (690 ha) park contains reconstructed historic buildings as well, including the McLean House.