The Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse was constructed from 1770 to 1771 in the
Georgian style. The courthouse is located facing Market Square with Duke of Gloucester Street running directly behind it. The property was acquired by Colonial Williamsburg in 1928, and was added to the
National Register as a
contributing property to the
Williamsburg Historic District on October 15, 1966.
The courthouse once housed two separate court systems, one being the James City County Court, responsible for carrying out county cases, and the other, the Hustings Court, responsible for the city cases. The courthouse was built with red bricks with white wooden trim-boards and long arched windows with white shutters. A projected
portico is located over one of the entrances and is unique in Georgian architecture. The hipped roof rests on an entablature with
dentil moldings. The roof is pierced on both sides by a chimney and a central octagonal drum capped with a dome and a spire.
The courthouse was the site where
Benjamin Waller read aloud the
Declaration of Independence on July 25, 1776, after it arrived from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
The building was used as a hospital for the
Confederate Army after the
Battle of Williamsburg.
References
Further reading
*Beney, Peter; ''The Majesty of Colonial Williamsburg''; Pelican Books; Gretna, Louisiana; 1997
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
County courthouses in Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg
Government buildings completed in 1771
Courthouses in Virginia
Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Historic district contributing properties in Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Williamsburg, Virginia
Brick buildings and structures in Williamsburg, Virginia