Nomination Form
Although much altered from its original and probably very simple appearance, the former courthouse of Middlesex County is one of Virginia’s rare colonial court structures. A courthouse was ordered for Urbanna in 1685, but local arguments over ferry access to the county seat prevented any construction until 1748. During the American Revolution, the local Committee of Safety met here to try local gentry for suspected loyalty to the crown. In 1847 the Middlesex justices moved the county seat to the more accessible settlement of Saluda. The Old Middlesex County Courthouse was then remodeled in the Gothic style and used as an interdenominational chapel. During the Civil War the building served as a barracks for Confederate troops. From 1920 to 1948 Old Middlesex County Courthouse housed an Episcopal congregation, after which it was deconsecrated and deeded to the Middlesex County Woman’s Club, which it continues to serve.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia
