The Jefferson County Courthouse is a historic building in

Charles Town, West Virginia Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,534 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of Pres ...

, USA. The building is historically notable as the site of two trials for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

: that of John Brown in 1859 (treason against Virginia), and those of unionizing coal miners from

Mingo County, West Virginia Mingo County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,568. Its county seat and largest city is Williamson. Created in 1895, Mingo is West Virginia's newest county, named for the historic I ...

(treason against West Virginia), a consequence of the

Battle of Blair Mountain The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor uprising in United States history and is the largest armed uprising since the American Civil War. The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Coal Wars, a series of ea ...

, whose trials were moved from the southern part of the state in 1922 as a result of a change of venue. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 2023 for its role in the mining wars.

Description

The courthouse is a red brick building in the

Georgian style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover, George I, George II, Ge ...

with a prominent Doric pedimented porch. It has an unusual clock tower with a square dome that resembles Second Empire structures. The courthouse is set on a high stone foundation, facing onto a small yard enclosed by a metal fence. The porch has four Doric columns, with small copies of the portico's pediment over the main floor windows and front door, and a projecting central iron balcony on the upper level. The first Mullett addition largely matches the main building, while the second addition features significant stone trim detailing.

History

The first courthouse on the site was built in 1808 on a lot donated by Charles Washington, but was destroyed in a fire. Its replacement, the core of the present courthouse, was built in 1836–37 with its present Doric pedimented porch. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

the courthouse was heavily damaged by cannon fire and was salvaged for metal. ^{Was it torn down?} From 1865 to 1872 the courthouse was vacant, and court was held in Shepherdstown at McMurran Hall. In 1871–72 the building was reconstructed to a design by Phillips and Cockrill, keeping the façade, but little else. A disproportionately large cupola was added for the town clock on top of the porch at this time. In 1910 Alfred B. Mullett designed an extension to the rear, with a later

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover, George I, George II, Ge ...

addition comprising a jail and sheriff's offices. Two famous trials have taken place in the courthouse. The first was '' Virginia v. John Brown'', John Brown's 1859 trial for treason against Virginia, fomenting a slave insurrection, and murder. Brown's captured associates, facing the same charges, were tried at the same time. All were found guilty and executed. The second was the trial of coal miners from Mingo County who had fought in the

, whose trial had changed venue to Jefferson County. The trials eventually moved to Morgan County, and then Greenbrier County. A former plaque at the entrance to the courthouse "in honor and memory of the Confederate soldiers of Jefferson County", placed in 1986 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was removed in 2018, as part of the wave of removal of Confederate monuments and memorials that followed Dylann Roof's massacre.

References

External links

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Law Librarians of Congress feature
on the Jefferson County Courthouse {{National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Buildings and structures in Charles Town, West Virginia Georgian architecture in West Virginia County courthouses in West Virginia Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, West Virginia Clock towers in West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, West Virginia Government buildings completed in 1808 Government buildings completed in 1836 Historic American Buildings Survey in West Virginia John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry United Daughters of the Confederacy monuments and memorials Alfred B. Mullett buildings National Historic Landmarks in West Virginia 1808 establishments in Virginia 1836 establishments in Virginia