The Brentsville Courthouse was built in 1822 and served as the Prince William County Courthouse until 1894 when the county moved the court system to Manassas where it remains today. Brentsville was the fourth county courthouse - the first was in Woodbridge, the second in Cedar Run and the third in Dumfries. Brentsville was chosen for two reasons:
- The population was moving west
- It was in the geographic center of Prince William County
It served as the county courthouse during the Civil War (Brentsville was under control of Confederate troops), but after the seat of county government moved to Manassas the Brentsville site saw duty as
- The village school
- Community Center
- Brentsville District polling place
- Prince William County Park Authority Headquarters
The Prince William County Historical Preservation Division maintains the 25 acre site - court house restoration cost in excess of $1,000,000. The grounds are open daily during daylight hours.
The court house is open
- Thursday through Monday
- May 1 to October 31
- 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Admission is Free
There is a self guided tour and a nature trail that winds down to the waters of Broad Run.
I can be barely seen in one of the pictures walking back from a visit to the execution site. The scaffold was erected and dissembled after each of the 13 executions carried out there. Also, the courthouse is cooled geothermally. There are eight 300 foot wells where the water remains at a constant 55 degrees all year long. The water is the coolant in the system that air conditions the building in the summer months.
The County Jail (also built in 1822) is closed for engineering studies to determine how much money will be needed to restore it.
The Kruschkas are long term Prince William County residents with more than 30 years experience as real estate professionals serving Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, Manassas Park, Bristow, Brentsville, Gainesville and Haymarket
Experience Isn’t Expensive – It’s PRICELESS
If you plan to buy or sell a Prince William County home or property contact Karen and Art by Email or call us at 703-499-9279. Put our record of customer service, real estate experience and state-of-the-art technology to work for you in Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Stafford County or the entire Northern Virginia Area.
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