Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

THE OLD COURT HOUSE - NO. 34

This Court House was built about 1770. In 1769, the following announcement appeared in the Virginia Gazette:

WILLIAMSBURG, March 16, 1769.

THE COMMON HALL having this day determined to build a commodious BRICK COURT-HOUSE, in this city, and having appointed us to agree with an undertaker to build the same; we do hereby give notice that we shall meet at Mr. Hay's, on Tuesday the 4th day of April, to let the building thereof. We are also appointed to dispose of the present Court-House, and the ground on which the same stands.

JAMES COCKE.
JAMES CARTER.
JOHN CARTER.
JOHN TAZEWELL.

N. B. The plan of the above Court-House, may be seen at Mr. Hay's at any time.

[William Rind, Virginia Gazette, March 23, 1769.]

A petition concerning the land on which the Court House was to stand was read before the House of Burgesses on May 22, 1770:

A Petition of the Justices of the County of James City, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth that the Petitioners and the Corporation of the City of Williamsburg had, for their mutual Conveniences and Benefit, entered into a Contract to build a commodious Court-House at their joint Expense; but that there is no Situation fit for the Purpose, within the Line of the said County, as it is now established; and therefore praying that an Act may pass for adding to the said County so much of the Market Square, in the said City, as lies on the North Side of the Main Street, as far as Nicholson Street, and between Hugh Walker's Lot and the Paling where Mr Haldenby Dixon's Store stands, and for empowering the Petitioners to sell a Lot of Land, whereon their present Court-House stands, in the said City, and applying the proceeds of such Sale towards discharging their Proportion of the Expence of building a new Court-House. And also
A Petition of the Mayor, Recorder, Alderman, and Common Council, of the City of Williamsburg, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth their Agreement with the Court of the County of James City of join in building a Court-House on the Market Square of the said City; and therefore praying that Part of the said Market Square may be added to the said County of James City, and that the Petitioners may be permitted to use the Guard-House, in the said City, the Guard being discontinued, as and for a Market-House.[Journals of the House of Burgesses, p. 9.]

The bill based on this petition was passed June 23, 1770:

An ingrossed Bill, for adding Part of the City of Williamsburg to James City County and for other Purposes therein mentioned, was read the third time.
Resolved, That the Bill do pass; and that the Title be, An Act to annex Part of the County of York to the County of James City, and for other Purposes therein mentioned. [Journals of the House of Burgesses, p. 95.]

This building was not completed before 1772, as is evidence by the following letter:

To Samuel Martin, Esq.
...I am particularly to thank you for procuring the stone steps for the Court House in Williamsburg, which came in good Order and was to the entire satisfaction of those concerned in the Building. Mr. Nicholas, I expect, will acknowledge your civility in sending them Freight free...July 2, 1772 [William and Mary Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. VII, p. 29 - Nelson Letter Book.]

Neither the Unknown Draughtsman's nor Bucktrout's Maps show the Market Square as including the land upon which the James City County Court House of 1715 stood.

The information bureau, formerly maintained in this building, is now located at the Craft House.

H. D. Farish,
Director
Summer, 1940.