North Newport News , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Courthouse Square
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2021
1. The Courthouse Square Marker
Perhaps nowhere in Newport News is the juxtaposition of the traditional and the eclectic more apparent than on the old Warwick County courthouse green. Within its walls, the 1810 Georgian courthouse sits only a short distance from its 1884 Italianate replacement. They strikingly contrast the evolution of Warwick from an agricultural economy to an urban one reliant on industry and commerce.
(Photo Captions)
During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, the courthouse area was occupied by Federal troops, who looted county records. The 1810 courthouse and 1820 clerk's office are the two buildings on the right of the sketch.
In 1820, a one-room brick clerk's office was constructed next to the 1810 courthouse. It was demolished some time after 1904. A reconstruction, built in 2008, stands over the original location.
A 1918 spring Maypole celebration on the square featured students from Denbigh schools.
The 1810 Courthouse, c. 1960. The addition facing the monument was removed during restoration in the 1980s.
The 1884 Courthouse in spring and winter, c. 2010.
Pal Dockerty with his horse Ebilight, c. 1900 outside
this page online
Erected 2020 by City of Newport News Historic Services.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1810.
Location. 37° 7.793′ N, 76° 32.532′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in North Newport News. It can be reached from the intersection of Old Courthouse Way and Grissom Way, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport News VA 23608, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginias Peninsula, in Hampton Roads, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2021
2. The Courthouse Square Marker
Marker can be seen on the left of the pair of white markers. The 1810 courthouse is at the far left.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Free State of Warwick (here, next to this marker); Warwick Court House (a few steps from this marker); Warwick Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Warwick Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Reflecting a Changing Society (within shouting distance of this marker); Bygone Days in Denbigh (within shouting distance of this marker); Olivet Christian Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Curtis Oil (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Warwick County Confederate Monument (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2021
3. The 1884 Courthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 424 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 4, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
