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The Spotsylvania Courthouse Historic District is centered on what has been the county seat since
1839. Some of its historic structures and sites include the following:
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The Court House - Spotsylvania Court was first established at Germanna in 1722; moved to
Fredericksburg in 1732; to the "Old Court House" in 1778; and to its present
site in 1839, when Lewis Rawlings, owner of the Tavern, gave the County 10
acres for the Court House green. It was built the following
year by masons who had worked for Thomas Jefferson during the construction of
the University of Virginia.
The battering sustained by the Court House during the Civil War necessitated
major repairs in 1870. By 1900, the
building was declared unsafe; subsequently, a new, enlarged building of similar
design was constructed on the site, using cream brick instead of red.
The original Doric columns were salvaged and put in place.
In 1964, the wing on the southwest corner was added to house the
government offices. Spotsylvania
County Records were buried during the Civil War, and with the exception of three
books which were damaged by water, the records are complete, dating from the
founding of the County in 1720-1721.
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The Spotsylvania Jail (1855) - In 1839, the county jail, built in 1781, was
transferred brick by brick to the
present Court House location. Court orders show that the sheriff
and an armed party had to take possession of the jail, as the jailor refused
to give them the keys. Fourteen years later, the jail was severely
damaged by fire. It was ordered that a larger jail be built of new
materials and the salvaged brick be used to construct a wall on the south
and east sides of the Court House lot. When it was completed in
1856, on a site a bit west of the original site, it consisted of six cells,
three upstairs and three downstairs.
In 1948, the building was condemned and ceased to be used as a jail. It
was renovated and used for office space and government storage. The
original hand-forged iron door was returned to the county in 1978. It
had been the victim of the scrap-iron pile and was being used as a farm implement.
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The Sanford Tavern - Samuel Alsop built the tavern in 1838,
according to tax records. Joseph Sanford owned it from 1853 to
1869. During the Civil War, Sanford's Tavern was near the
center of the Battle for Spotsylvania Court House and served as headquarters
for Confederate General Jubal A. Early and his staff. General Robert E. Lee was
in conference here frequently.
From 1838 to 1905, the Tavern experienced a succession of name changes: Alsop's
Tavern, Rawlings Tavern, Sanford's Tavern, Fisher's Hotel, Shelton's Hotel,
Bittle's Historic Hotel (Virginia Collegiate Institute), Harris' Historic Hotel
and Carner's Historic Hotel. In September 1905, the Tavern
(known as Carner's Historic Hotel) was decimated by fire, leaving only some
walls standing. The current structure was rebuilt in 1906 and most recently
restored by the present owners, the law firm of Coleman, Jarrell, Hicks
and Sasser.
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Old Berea Christian Church - The church was
built in 1856 under the supervision of Samuel Alsop, who, even though he was
81, was considered one of the foremost builders of that time.
This little church is a fine example of Virginia’s Gothic
Revival period architecture, and is exceptionally well preserved.
When the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought in 1864, Berea
was scarred by shots and shells. One large shell passed
through one of the front doors and lodged in the wall. The
Old Cemetery, in the rear, dates back to the pre-Civil War period.
Today the structure houses a Research Library and Museum. In
October, 1987, the Research Library was formally dedicated to the
preservation of Spotsylvania County’s heritage. The Museum is
under the direction of the Spotsylvania Historical Association, Inc. and
is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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Christ Episcopal Church - The church was constructed in
1841. It is believed that
clay, from what is now a field at Robert E. Lee Elementary School, was used for
the bricks. The church was consecrated that same year by the Right
Reverend Bishop More. Christ Church served as a hospital during the
Battle if Spotsylvania Court House, and still bears scars received from shelling
during that battle.
After an Episcopal congregation in Mattaponi dissolved, that church’s large valued
Bible (King James Version), dated 1754, was brought to Christ Church. It
is now prominently displayed as a church treasure. This little church is
exceptionally well preserved and is a fine example of Virginia’s late Federal period
architecture.
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The Confederate Cemetery - In this cemetery rest some
600 Confederate soldiers that were killed
on the Civil War battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, The
Wilderness and Spotsylvania. They came from ten Confederate
States, to fight for the Confederate cause here in Virginia.
One-third of the battles in the Civil War were fought in Virginia, and
one-third of these battles were fought in Spotsylvania County. The
Spotsylvania Museum has a roster of Confederate veterans buried in this
cemetery, as well as a list of other burials there.
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Following the Civil War, the community centered on the Court House continued
to support the old tavern and several dwellings. The two small
churches remained in use. It was not until the last years of the
19th century that any substantial building activity took place.
An 1895 directory indicates that Clerk of the County Court, J. P. H.
Crismond, Sheriff T. A. Harris, tavern and store keeper T. H. Harris, and
the local Commonwealth’s Attorney were the only full time residents of
Spotsylvania Court House. An 1887 picture of the tavern and
court-house confirms written evidence that the Court House seat was then
sparsely populated. By 1905, several substantial dwellings had
been added to the tax rolls including the Crismond Residence, the Pendleton
House (now the Christ Church Education building) and the T. H. Harris House,
just south of the Court House.
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