Old Isle Of Wight Courthouse
History
During its 50 years of use as the county courthouse, it was considered the center of life in Isle of Wight and in the town of Smithfield, which was incorporated in 1752. It was constructed by William Rand, and featured a distinctive semi-circular apse and conical roof found in many English churches of the period and echoing the Colonial Capitol in Williamsburg. An adjacent clerk's office was constructed in 1799, although it was only in use for its intended purpose for a year, before the new courthouse at Isle of Wight was constructed. The old Smithfield courthouse was later modified into a family residence. To do so, the arcade was blocked and the roof converted to a gable.
Preservation
The courthouse and clerk's office were acquired by Preservation Virginia in 1938 and an extensive restoration project was completed in 1959.
A second restoration of the courthouse was undertaken in the late 1990s with the help of Colonial Williamsburg consultants and craftsmen, in which the interior was modified to more accurately recreate the appearance of a typical Virginia courthouse of the period.
The building is one of four remaining examples of arcaded colonial courthouses.
In 2013, ownership passed from Preservation Virginia to the non-profit Historic Smithfield, and on May 18, 2024 the property was officially deeded to the 1750 Courthouse Board, which for the past 11 years has operated as a semi-independent group under Historic Smithfield, tasked with raising funds for the historic building’s upkeep.
References
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (1989). Preserving Virginia 1889-1989: Centennial Pictorial. The Art Bank.
- ^ Couture, Richard (1984). To Preserve and Protect. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co. p. 93.
- ^ "Old Isle of Wight Courthouse". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ^ "Isle of Wight Courthouse". Preservation Virginia. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ^ "Isle of Wight Courthouse to Change Hands".
External links
Media related to Old Isle of Wight Courthouse (Virginia) at Wikimedia Commons
- Visitor Information - Isle of Wight-Smithfield-Windsor Chamber of Commerce
- Isle of Wight County Courthouse, Main & Mason Streets, Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, VA at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) (pre-restoration)
- Small Brick Office, Mason & Main Streets, Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, VA at HABS
