Turning the Pages of Time

Turning the Pages of Time. Spotsylvania Court House National Historic District. , The Courthouse continued to be adapted for use over the years. In the 1920's a second addition added to the back to give its current configuration. This addition housed rooms for the judge and jury. By 1927, a court annex had been added next to the building for the clerk to court and records storage. Today, after 180 years, the Courthouse still serves the citizens today–180 years later., [Captions:] , The Sanborn Map Company was a publisher of detailed maps of U.S. cities and towns in the 19th and 20th centuries. The maps were originally created to allow fire insurance companies to assess their total liability in urbanized areas of the United States. This map of the Courthouse area was produced in 1927. The map shows the public facilities at the rear of the building that were segregated, private homes, and the public school., In 1935, the Courthouse was the scene of the trial of the coleman murders. John and Jennie Coleman were shot and their bodies dumped in the well at their home near Partlow. The trial was sensationalized in papers and magazines. Eventually, John Shell and Joe Jackson were convicted of the crime and sent to the electric chair at the Virginia State Penitentiary., In 1935, county officials gathered for a photo celebrating the enlargement of the Courthouse Annex. Note the record storage in the right corner that was used until 2012., In 2019, the Sheriff's Office was removed and the Courthouse green was restored. Some accounts indicate the Courthouse was torn down in 1901 and rebuilt. This photo (right) shows the red rick of the original building putting that myth to rest., The Courthouse and grounds circa 1935., In 1964, a Sheriff's Office was added to the right of the building.