Shadwell is a census-designated place 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 Virgi…Shadwell is a census-designated place 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.