The Colonial Courthouses of York County, Virginia
Riley EM. 1941. The Colonial Courthouses of York County, Virginia. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Yorktown, Virginia
This report was prepared following destruction of the York County courthouse by fire (December 30, 1940) in an effort to assemble available information regarding the structures that stood on the courthouse lot during the colonial period. The burned structure was the fourth courthouse. The first had been built around 1657, and it was replaced by the second courthouse which was built between 1731 and 1733. While this structure was destroyed by fire in 1814, it can be considered the colonial courthouse of York County and is the principal subject of this report. This describes other locations and dates of court function in Yorktown, development and repairs of the structure, and the courthouse role during the Siege of Yorktown. It describes other features of the lot, like the prison. A third courthouse was erected between 1816 and 1818 and it stood until December 1863, when it was destroyed by an explosion of powder stored there by the Union army. The fourth courthouse was not built until 1875. Photos are included.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Riley, Edward
- Date of Issue
- 1941-04-21
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- COLO , NER
- Keywords
- American Revolution, Civil War, colonial Virginia, county courthouse, county justices, courthouse, fire, hospital, jail, Mathew Brady, prison, siege of Yorktown, stocks