Culpeper Courthouse: three times a charm

In its nearly 260-year history, Culpeper County has had three courthouses.

The first two stood in the same place - at the northeast corner of Main and Davis streets, where today’s Janal Leather is located.

According to “Historic Culpeper,” the Council of Colonial Virginia authorized the first courthouse in 1749 and it was probably completed a year later.

In 1808, the first courthouse was declared unsafe and a two-story brick structure, pictured on the cover, was erected. That too was torn down, around 1870, the materials sold and then the lot.

Culpeper’s third and final courthouse - pictured at left in this early 1900s photo - went up at the corner of West Davis and West streets. Sam Proctor is said to have built today’s courthouse at a cost of $18,700, according to “Historic Culpeper.”

The old jail in this old photo was torn down in 1908.—by Allison Brophy Champion