Downtown in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Hampton Courthouse
“Roofless and Thoroughly Gutted”
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010
1. Hampton Courthouse CWT Marker
“The courthouse, roofless and thoroughly gutted. … [Its] chimney served oar cooks well in getting supper. The Telegraph tent was soon up and the operator at work on the newly strung wire to Fort Monroe.” – Pvt. Robert Knox Sneden, March 24, 1862
Hampton’s courthouse was one of more than five hundred buildings that Capt. Jefferson C. Phillips’s Confederate troops burned on August 7, 1861, during the Civil War. The courthouse area was chosen as headquarters for Union Gen. Samuel Heintzelman’s III Corps during the Peninsula Campaign. Heintzelman and his staff pitched their tents nearby.
The American Missionary Association soon erected a school and church here amid the ruins of the old courthouse to demonstrate that freedmen could live independently. This school was the most important one that the A.M.A. established. Attended by 250 students, it contained a primary school on the first floor, while more advanced pupils on the second level were taught multiplication, division, penmanship, and elementary reading. The missionary teachers were ecstatic at the progress of their pupils, and they conducted their religious work in concert with their efforts in education. C.P. Day, an A.M.A. teacher, defined the organization’s motto as teaching “In order to do justice to the children.” Schools such
this page online
The courthouse that stands today dates from 1876. Remodeled in 1910 by C. Taylor Holtzsclaw, it has undergone several subsequent additions.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Notable Buildings • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 24, 1862.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 37° 1.598′ N, 76° 20.677′ W. Marker was in Hampton, Virginia. It was in Downtown. It was on Kings Way 0.1 miles south of Lincoln Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 101 Kings Way, Hampton VA 23669, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was on the Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Rochambeau (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Hampton Courthouse (here, next to this marker); The Courthouse (a few steps from this marker); Hampton Baptist Church (a few steps
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010
2. Hampton Courthouse
More about this marker. On the lower left is a painting with the caption: William McIllvaine painting, “The Ruins of Hampton” – Courtesy Library of Congress
On the upper right is a painting with the caption: Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman’s headquarters, painting by Robert K. Sneden – Courtesy Virginia Historical Society
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,828 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 1, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
