What Is the Spotsylvania Court House?
This is the historic 1840 courthouse for Spotsylvania County!
What Makes It Historical?
Spotsylvania County’s court system did a lot of hopping around, starting at Germanna in 1722 then Fredericksbug in 1732, to Spotsylvania in 1778, and then to a new part of Spotsylvania in 1839. Malcolm Crawford & William Phillips, known for their partnership with Thomas Jefferson on the University of Virginia, were behind the new courthouse’s design. Who’d have guessed that all those moves would put it right in the line of fire?
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in 1864 heavily damaged the courthouse, but with some smart planning, all official county records were buried, keeping everything, except three water-damaged books, intact dating back to 1720! The rest of the courthouse was repaired in 1870 and again in 1900, the only two original pieces being the Doric columns at the front!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Donate to the Spotsylvania County Museum!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
9101 Courthouse Rd
Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA 22553
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The historic courthouse is open weekdays from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM!
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