Northampton County Court Green

Northampton County Court Green. Northampton County Courthouse Historic District - Eastville Historic District. , For over three hundred years, the Eastville Court Green that you see in front of you was the center of judicial and administrative life for the residents of Northampton County. The essentials of everyday life were conducted here. People received their news, married, paid taxes, filed property ownership papers, had their debts recorded, voted, and may have acted as court or county administrators or lawyers – or defendants for misdeeds. Sometimes they even received punishment with time in the debtors' prison or the jail. The Court Green served as a mustering grounds and barracks for the militia during the Revolutionary War., We can imagine a way of life on the Court Green during pivotal times in our history because of the efforts of a small group of preservationists in 1913 that saved the 1731 or Marshall Courthouse, the Old Clerk's Office, and the Debtors' Prison. The Virginia Landmarks Commission designated the entire Court Green a Historic District in 1972 and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007., Visit the Court Green Historic District Exhibit in the 1899 Courthouse Monday - Friday during regular business hours to learn more about the Court Green, or enter the 1731 Courthouse, Debtors' Prison, and Old Clerk's Office - open seven days a week, April - October. You may also visit the new Courthouse, located behind the Court Green, to view the oldest continuous court records in the country. The Clerk's Office is open Monday - Friday during regular business hours., Northampton Country Court Green , The Court Green is nicely balanced with a collection of four offices of varying architectural style that were built from the 1820s to 1955 and are called "Lawyers' Row.", 1899 Courthouse , Dominating the Court Green is the 1899 Courthouse, the sixth in Northampton County. It was built on the site of the 1795 Courthouse. The present two-story courthouse was constructed by the B.F. Smith Fireproof Construction Company. This building, now fully restored, is currently in use as part of the Northampton County Administration Offices and houses meeting rooms and a museum exhibit curated by the Northampton Historic Preservation Society., 1907 Jail , The 1907 Jail was described in contemporary local papers as a "modern fire-proof building with concrete foundation and floor and reinforced concrete ceiling." It provided four steel cells and two front rooms for prisoners. The Jail measures approximately 24 feet x 30 feet. It was constructed by B.F. Smith Fireproof Construction Company., After the 1914 Jail was built, the 1907 facility was used as a fire station and a garage for the warden. It is now a NHPS Museum featuring the history of and stories about Court Green jails and genealogy research at the Northampton County Clerk's Office., Old Clerk's Office, ca. 1800 and 1731 or Marshall Courthouse , John Marshall constructed this Northampton County courthouse (the fourth in the county) for 50,000 pounds of tobacco. Originally, its location was close to Courthouse Road and in front of where the 1899 Courthouse now stands. The brickwork is laid in Flemish bond, although a portion of the building was later replaced during restoration efforts. Walk around to the backside of the building to see the original diagonally placed bricks. We are fortunate that this old courthouse survived as newer courthouses were built on the Court Green over the past 200+ years period in 1913, plans were made to tear down the 1731 courthouse to make room for a Confederate Monument. Preservationists were able to convince the county to move the courthouse to its current location., To the left of the 1731 courthouse stands the Old Clerk's Office, erected about 1800 to hold the court records. The Old Clerk's Office is on the original site and has undergone minimal restoration. The one-story, one-room, building of brick construction has a floor made of large, odd sized flagstones. When you enter the well-worn stone threshold, you will see the original wood cabinets used for record storage that extend from the floor to the vaulted ceiling., Debtors' Prison, ca. 1815 , Behind the Old Clerk's Office and to the left of the 1731 Courthouse stands the Debtors' Prison. Erected about 1814, the Debtors' Prison kept those who were confined for failure to pay their debts separate from the criminal prisoners., The prison, with its high narrow steps and steeply pitched roof, measures approximately 17 feet x 17 feet. The interior of the building has massive oak planking. The one door is completely encased in iron on the inside and has an intricate bar and lock arrangement with a keyhole opening – but only on the outside, of course., Northampton Historic Preservation Society , The mission of the NHPS is to preserve the historic heritage of properties primarily in Northampton County, Virginia, through education, advocacy, and restoration activities. Please join our preservation efforts by becoming a member or donating.,

[email protected] , P.O. Box 501 , Eastville, VA 23347

, Visit the NHPS website at: , www.northamptonhistoricpreservationsociety.com