Seat of the County of York

Seat of the County of York. . York County, initially named Charles Shire, was created in 1634 when Virginia was divided into eight geographical areas. At first the undefined county boundaries extended far into the northern and western frontiers. The Town of York has served as the seat of county government since 1691 when it was established by the Virginia General Assembly., The first courthouse was built in 1697 and located at the corner of Main and Ballard Streets. Over the next 300 years, five different structures served the County from that site. The first was torn down and rebuilt to accommodate growth; three were destroyed by fires; and the fifth was remodeled and renamed York Hall after a larger courthouse was built a short distance from the old site in 1997., (captions) , Completed in 1818, the third courthouse at Ballard and Main was blown off its foundation on December 16, 1863, by an explosion of Union Army gunpowder stored in its chambers during the Civil War. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress., York-Poquoson Courthouse, 300 Ballard Street, completed 1997. Photo courtesy of York County.