Fauquier County Court House - Then and Now - Warrenton, VA - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

Courthouse and Courthouse Square The first Fauquier court was held in the Elk Roo residence of Major John Frogg in early 1759 and was soon relocated to the property of John Duncan, a location closer to the geographic center of the county. Since that time there have been six County Courthouse buildings, and a Court and Office building in Fauquier. Four of the Courthouses were at the present location in Warrenton, the intersection of Waterloo, Main, and Winchester Streets, and Alexandria Pike.
The first Courthouse building was in Fayetteville (Opal), near the birthplace of Chief Justice Marshall. It was built in the 1760-62 period and made of wood, A brick Courthouse was completed in the town of Fauquier Courthouse (Warrenton) in 1764 near Culpeper Road and Rappahannock Road to replace the smaller wood building in Fayetteville. An addition to this building was added in 1771 and it was used until after the Revolutionary War. In 1790 it was decided to move the Courthouse to its present location.

The plot of land was to contain the Courthouse, prison, pillory, whipping post and stocks. It was 1795 before this building was ready for use. A new Courthouse was built on the same site in 1819 and included a bell. This structure was used until it burned down in 1853.
This Courthouse was the site of the visit of the Marquis de LaFayette in 1825. Another new Courthouse with a clock tower and new bell was built on the same location in 1854. in 1889, the Courthouse burned down as a result of a fire works display celebrating an election victory. The courthouse building was reconstructed including a clocktowerand bell. This building received a major renovation in 1975 and became known as the General District Court Building in 1978. This building still stands and is in use as a courthouse today. In 1993, President Elect Clinton on his inaugural Presidential bus trip stood on a podium next to this Courthouse and mistakenly referred to it as a beautiful historic old church. In the mid 1970's the new County Court and Office structure wasbuilt on Lee Street between Ashby and Culpeper Streets, less than a block from the Courthouse. This structure and the Courthouse discussed in Item 6 above are both used today. The Courthouse Square area also has an interesting history. In the period just after the Civil War, the town. fire equipment was kept under the front portico of the building. In the period prior to the building of the brick jail, this area contained wooden shacks which acted as jail cells. Naptha street lamps were added in 1875 to the area which required the hiring of a lamplighter. Around 1910 brick sidewalks replaced woodplanks. Electricity was available in the very early 1900's and the town clock waslighted in 1911. In 1913, a fountain in front of the Courthouse was donated by a local family. It included a bench, part of which is presently located on the green in front of the Old Jail Museum, and a watering basin. This fountain was removed in 1929 partly because of gasoline vehicle traffic. The Mosby Monument in front of the Museum. It was dedicated in 1920. In 1947 a stone WWll Monument was erected and, in 1959, the Statue of Chief Justice Marshall was dedicated, both on the other side of the Courthouse from the jail. A Gulf War "Honor & Remembrance" Memorial was added in front of the ''Old Jail" in the 1990's. Presently this area also displays the stone used by Lafayette to address the town upon his visit in 1825. Prepared by the Fauquier Historical Society

Year photo was taken: 1865

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/26/2012 PeterNoG visited it