Misplaced Pages

Northampton County Courthouse Historic District

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Historic district in Virginia, United States

United States historic place
Northampton County Courthouse Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Virginia Landmarks Register
Eastville Courthouse Buildings
Northampton County Courthouse Historic District is located in VirginiaNorthampton County Courthouse Historic DistrictShow map of VirginiaNorthampton County Courthouse Historic District is located in the United StatesNorthampton County Courthouse Historic DistrictShow map of the United States
LocationEastville, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates37°21′10″N 75°56′48″W / 37.35278°N 75.94667°W / 37.35278; -75.94667
Area9 acres (3.6 ha)
ArchitectJohn Marshall and William Satchell
Architectural styleRomanesque and Federal
NRHP reference No.72001410
VLR No.214-0007
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 13, 1972
Designated VLRNovember 16, 1971

The Northampton County Courthouse Historic District is a nine-acre historic district in Northampton County, Virginia. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three buildings are located on the property: A courthouse and a clerk's office (both dating to 1731), and a prison (dating to 1814). The buildings house documents dating back to 1632. It is included in the Eastville Historic District.

History

The courthouse was constructed by John Marshall, a Founding Father of the United States, in 1731 at the cost of 50,000 pounds of tobacco. Built in Flemish bond style, the brick building measured approximately 35 feet by 23 feet. The Clerk's Office was built adjacent to the courthouse. It features diagonally-battened door fastens and an unusual assortment of variously sized paving stones.

The building remained in use through 1795, when another courthouse was constructed nearby. It was then turned into a storehouse for a rent of $1 per year, on the condition that the new lessee would fund a new roof for the building.

Preservation

The court house remained in the possession of the original lessee and his descendants until it was purchased by the county in 1913 for $4,000. Preservation Virginia had the building moved to its current location, near the Clerk's Office. Using funds from the County of Northampton, the local Preservation Virginia Branch, and a grant from the parent Preservation Virginia, the 1731 Courthouse, Clerk's Office, and the Debtor's Prison underwent extensive repair in the 1950s.

The buildings are owned by the County of Northampton, Virginia. The Northampton Historic Preservation Society (formerly the Northampton Branch of Preservation Virginia) works as an advocate with County Supervisors and personnel to maintain the preservation of the entire Eastville Court Green and its buildings. The courthouse includes a museum, which along with the three buildings is open daily during regular business hours from April through October.

The Eastville Court Green is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2009) and the Virginia Landmarks Register (2009).

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  3. ^ "Eastville Court Buildings". Preservation Virginia. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Latimer, Frances. "Eastville Courthouse". Northampton County. Retrieved July 8, 2011.

External links

U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Lists
by county

Lists
by city
Other lists


This article about a property in Northampton County, Virginia on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: