Orange County Courthouse - Orange County VA
N 38° 14.712 W 078° 06.686
17S E 752787 N 4236967
The Italian Villa architectural style of the Orange County Courthouse was an extreme change from the traditional classical-style courthouses of Virginia when it was built in 1859.
Waymark Code: WMFZP6
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/24/2012
Views: 6
The Orange County Courthouse was built in 1859 on the site of an old tavern at Main St. and Madison Rd. in Orange, Virginia. When the Orange & Alexandria Railroad came to town in the mid-1800s, the original courthouse and public lot stood in the right-of-way, necessitating its relocation. Designed by the firm of Haskins and Alexander of Washington, D.C, the Italian Villa-style building with a Tuscan tower was a radical change from the traditional classical Colonial- or Georgian-style Virginia courthouses. The courthouse is significant because of its unique design. Few Virginia government or public buildings strayed from the conservative architectural norm that was characteristic in the 19th century.
In 1878, a bell was added to the tower; in 1891, a jail was built at the back of the courthouse grounds to replace the old jailhouse which was located where the train depot now stands; and in 1894, a clerk's office was built at the west side.
Although there have been major changes and alterations done to the interior, due mostly in part to modernization, and additions for expansion over the years, the original design and facade of the Orange Courthouse remains basically the same. The clock on the tower was added in 1924.
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