Northern Virginia is home to some of the state’s most significant historic Civil War sites. For many Bristow residents, history can be found only a few miles away at the Brentsville Courthouse and Jail.
Built in 1822, the courthouse served as Prince William County’s fourth judicial establishment and clerk’s office due to its central location in the county. A few yards away on the same plot of land, the county jail housed inmates who were later tried by county magistrates at the courthouse.
The courthouse and jail also hold important aspects of the history of local African-Americans. During the mid to late 1800s, increased resistance to slavery by white and black Americans could be seen throughout areas of Northern Virginia.
“Between 1822 and 1893, there were 13 executions,” said Mike Riley, site manager for the Prince William County Historic Preservation. “12 of the 13 executed were African-American.”
The criminal executions took place in the gallows, located on the same property as the courthouse and jail. In one criminal case, a female slave named Agness was executed for killing her master, Gerard Mason, a descendant of George Mason, and reportedly haunts the property.
In another case, a runaway slave had escaped the jail on a previous occasion and was captured and re-incarcerated. Following his first escape, “he attempted to burn himself out of the jail,” Riley said, and died in the fire.
Brentsville suffered immensely during the war at the hands of both armies, and many county buildings, including the courthouse, were badly damaged from the fighting. While rebuilding, the court convened in various locations until 1893 when the county seat moved to Manassas. After 1893, the courthouse housed schools and a community center, but was restored to its 1830s appearance in 2006.
The jail was never fully secure and witnessed numerous escapes by prisoners. Although structurally sound, the jail is currently in the process of being restored due to extensive termite damage. Come April 15, the preservation organization will offer hard-hat tours of the inside to visitors.
“During the tours, you will be able to see the restoration in progress,” Riley said. “It will give people a chance to hear about history.”
The courthouse and jail site also have a connection to the Prince William County Cavalry, which was formed on the courthouse lawn in January of 1860. Additionally, General John Buford’s cavalry was posted in Brentsville during the war to protect the Federal Supply Train.
Riley hopes the historic site will remind people of the past and how far society has come since the Civil War Era.
“It shows the advantages we made as a society to the country prior to the Civil War," he said. "In Northern Virginia, a lot of people don’t have a sense of place; I think telling the story about the past gives people a sense of continuation in the community.”
The Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre and Jail site is open to the public daily from sunrise to sundown. For more information about the site and the John Hall Home, Union Church and One Room Schoolhouse, visit pwcgov.org, and for more information on African American History Month and tourism within Prince William County, contact visitpwc.com.
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