Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

During the Civil War, Brentsville was the county seat of Prince William in Virginia. Several Confederate units, including the Prince William Cavalry (Co. A, 4th VA Cav) and Ewell Guards (Co. A, 49th VA Inf), were organized and drilled on the courthouse lawn which also served as a public lot.

Because of its proximity to Manassas and Bristoe Station where several campaigns and battles were fought, Brentsville suffered damage at the hands of both the Union and Confederate armies. Thousands of troops passed through. Churches and homes were used for hospitals. Many of the buildings were ravaged for bricks to build encampments. The roof of the courthouse was partially torn off and the adjacent clerk's office was totally destroyed. Most of the county's records were lost, a loss that is felt today by researchers.

In late 1863, 500 wagons of a Union supply train stopped to rest near the courthouse -- the largest Union wagon train assembled during the war.

Throughout the war, Confederate partisans operated from Brentsville and many scouting units were posted in the town.

After the Civil War, Brentsville never fully recovered. Manassas became the economic center of Prince William because of its location near the railroad junction. Thirty years later, the county seat was moved from Brentsville to Manassas.

Prince William County Park Authority acquired the courthouse property in 1974 and established the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre which is on the Civil War Discovery Trail. The grounds include the courthouse and public lot.

References:

• Poems from the Battlefield: A Story from Brentsville, Courtesy of Morgan Breeden
• On-site information

Type of site: Other Address: 12229 Bristow Rd Bristow, VA USA 20136 Phone Number: 703-365-7895 Admission Charged: No Charge Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: From Interstate 95: Take Rt. 234 North (Exit 152B); travel seven and a half miles and make a left onto Independent Hill Drive. Then make your immediate right onto Bristow Rd. Brentsville is five miles on the right. From Interstate 66: Take Rt. 234 South (Exit 44); travel 4.5 miles and turn right onto Rt. 28 south (Nokesville Rd.). Travel 1.5 miles and make a left onto Rt. 619 (Bristow Rd.); Brentsville is four miles on the left.

Visit Instructions:
Post a picture of site showing the signage or other notable feature. Please tell what you saw or learned.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.