Chapter I: Introduction: 1

I. FAIRFAX COUNTY'S EARLY COURTHOUSES: 1742-1800 3

II. THE PROVIDENCE COURTHOUSE AND ITS RELATED
BUILDINGS: 1800-1860 12

III. THE COUNTY COURT AND ITS OFFICERS 18

IV. THE WAR YEARS: 1861-1865 33

V. THE YEARS OF REBUILDING: 1865-1903 42

VI. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY COURTHOUSE 50

VII. THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE COURTHOUSE AND ITS RELATED
BUILDINGS 58

1. The Courthouse Complex 58

2. The Courthouse 73

3. Restoration of the Original Wing of the
Courthouse, 1967 87

APPENDIXES

A. County Court Clerks: 1742-1976 107

B. Justices and Judges: 1742-1976 108

C. Portraits in the Old Courthouse--Biographies 117

D. Clerk's Office Specifications, _Alexandria
Gazette_, July 15, 1853 121

E. Schedule of Reconstruction of the Courthouse, 1967 123

LIST OF SOURCES 127

ILLUSTRATIONS

Front Cover--Courthouse about 1920

Back Cover--Court papers, 1976

Five Colonial Justices of the Fairfax County Court: George
Washington; George Mason; Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax;
George William Fairfax; and Bryan, eighth Lord Fairfax 2

Cartograph of Alexandria Courthouse Square 6

Surveys of courthouse lot, 1798-1924 15

Civil War view, 1862 32

Hopkins' map of Fairfax Court House, 1879 44

Marr monument's dedication, 1904 49

The Tavern, c. 1932 51

1907 courthouse picture 51

Two aerials of the courthouse and county center
complex, 1970s 55

Clerk's Office, 1907 61

County Jail, 1886 63

Police Department, c. 1947 63

Naval Cannon 67

Marr Monument 67

War Memorial plaques 68

Central staircase mural 69

18th century English town and market halls 76

Two-story windows, c. 1966; double row windows, 1967 80

Courtroom remodeled in 1920 82

Central entrance, 1954 addition 83

Floor plans 88

Three views of the gutted courthouse, 1966 90

Two interiors of the courthouse restoration, c. 1968 92

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This monograph is one of a series of research reports on the historical and architectural landmarks of Fairfax County, Virginia. It has been prepared under the supervision of the Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning, in cooperation with the Fairfax County History Commission, pursuant to a resolution of the Board of County Supervisors calling for a survey of the County's historic sites and buildings.

The authors of this report wish to acknowledge with thanks the assistance of Lindsey Carne, Mrs. J. H. Elliott, Lee Hubbard, Mrs. Jean Johnson Rust, and Mrs. Barry Sullivan, who provided information and graphics for this publication. Also valuable were the comments of the Honorable James Keith, Circuit Court Judge; Mrs. Edith M. Sprouse; John K. Gott; Mrs. Catharine Ratiner; and Mayo S. Stuntz, all of whom reviewed the manuscript with care prior to its final revisions.

Special thanks are tendered to the Honorable Thomas P. Chapman, Jr. and the Honorable W. Franklin Gooding, former Clerks of the Courts of Fairfax County; the Honorable James Hoofnagle, present Clerk of the Courts; and to Walter M. Macomber, architect of the 1967 reconstruction of the original wing of the courthouse, who granted extensive interviews which filled many of the gaps created by lack of documentary sources.

Throughout the entire research and writing of this report, the authors received valuable guidance and comments from the members of the Fairfax County History Commission and assistance from the staffs of the Fairfax County Public Library and the Virginia State Library.

Finally, the authors acknowledge with thanks the help of Jay Linard, Mrs. Verna McFeaters, Ms. Virginia Inge, Ms. Irene Rouse, Ms. Annette Thomas, and Ms. Robin Pedlar in manuscript preparation.

Ross Netherton
Ruby Waldeck