Wolf Run Studio - Courthouses
Bill Harrah
Wolf Run Studio
P.O. Box 444
Clifton VA 20124

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(703) 250-6711
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(703) 764-9204

 

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. . . COURTHOUSES . . . (Click on an image to see the actual notecard size)
Loudoun County Courthouse
Leesburg, Virginia

#NC-02020-CH - Notecards
Also available in Assortment Pack #AST-780
#PR-02020-CH - Open Edition Print

Constructed in 1894, the Loudoun County Courthouse is the third to stand on the same site. The bell from the first courthouse, built in 1761, hangs in the belfry today. Posts from the second courthouse, which opened in 1811, can still be seen in the courtyard.

No records exist concerning reasons for replacing the original brick courthouse, but the second courthouse was deemed "an unhealthy place" where "the ceilings are tumbling down and walls are cracked" shortly before its demolition. Richmond architect William West and the Norris Brothers, local contractors, combined to produce a brick building that has admirably stood the test of time. The cost: $11,000.

Felony trials, held quarterly in the 18th and 19th centuries, became a favored form of entertainment, attracting citizens to the courthouse from throughout the county. At such times, the aura of the town became festive. The court also met monthly to take care of more mundane business such as setting tax rates, appraising estates and hearing misdemeanor cases.

The courtyard features war memorials, including a 1908 Confederate statue sculpted by Frederick Sievers. Among the noteworthy citizens honored inside with portraits is James Monroe, who moved to Loudoun County after his presidency and, for lack of a pension, served as a justice of the peace. Upstairs, many of the chairs have been individualized over the years by jurors who whittled the arms while listening as attorneys presented their cases.

Text © 1997 Terry White, Drawing © 1997 Bill Harrah

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    #PR-02020-CH
    Open Edition Print
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    Mat: 11” x 14”
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COURTHOUSE SELECTIONS:
Fairfax Court House    Loudoun County Courthouse   
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Drawings Copyright © 1992-2010 Bill Harrah, Wolf Run Studio (SM), All Rights Reserved. Wolf Run Studio is a service mark of Bill Harrah and has been in continuous use since 1992. All of the images on this website are in tangible form and are fully copyrighted. Each has an invisible digital identification which is traceable through the Digimarc Corporation. Viewers of the Wolf Run Studio website are allowed to browse and print out images for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not distribute copies of images or image files to anyone else for any reason. Images may not be reproduced or used in any form or any manner, or displayed on any website without the express written consent of Bill Harrah.

Text Copyright © 1992-2008 Terry White or Dianne Harrah. Text on this website is used with permission from the authors. Viewers of the Wolf Run Studio website are allowed to browse and print out text for personal, non-commercial use only. Text may not be reproduced or used in any form or any manner without the express written consent of the authors.

Information Accuracy
The information for the written description of each location has been carefully researched by the authors and is believed to be accurate. New findings, however, could make some information out-of-date. If you are a professional historian, archaeologist, or architect, and have new information that you are willing to share, please contact Dianne Harrah .