032-0040

Fluvanna County Courthouse Historic District

VLR Listing Date

01/05/1971

NRHP Listing Date

09/22/1971

NRHP Reference Number

71000977

Termed by architectural historian Talbot Hamlin the “Acropolis of Palmyra,” the cluster of court structures that comprise the Fluvanna County Courthouse Historic District are dominated by the temple-form, Greek Doric courthouse, which stands grandly overlooking the surrounding village of Palmyra. Gen. John Hartwell Cocke of nearby Bremo, one of the five commissioners who drafted plans for both the courthouse and jail, took primary responsibility for their final appearance. The 1829 stone jail, built by John G. Hughes, is similar to the distinctive brick and stone farm buildings at Bremo. The courthouse, completed in 1831, was supervised by Walker Timberlake, a Methodist preacher/contractor. It is one of the state’s few antebellum courthouses to remain without additions and retain its original interior arrangement and many original fittings. Inscribed on the stone lintel above the Fluvanna County Courthouse entrance is “THE MAXIM HELD SACRED BY EVERY FREE PEOPLE / OBEY THE LAWS.

Last Updated: April 17, 2024

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

032-0188

Seay’s Chapel Methodist Church

Fluvanna County

032-0019

Melrose

Fluvanna County

032-0017

Glen Burnie

Fluvanna County