111-0057

Fredericksburg Town Hall and Market Square

VLR Listing Date

10/20/1993

NRHP Listing Date

07/22/1994

NRHP Reference Number

94000683

Fredericksburg’s former town hall and connecting square is a rare Federal-period public complex. Completed in 1816, the town hall is a plain, almost domestic appearing building. The rear elevation (pictured above), set on a stone arcade, dominates the market square, a sloping space on the interior of the block. The Fredericksburg Town Hall and Market Square complex follows the precedent of English town halls which traditionally had meeting spaces above an arcaded market area. Here, farmers, craftsmen and other vendors sold their goods in the formerly open arcades of the lower level. Political leaders and social elite held public meetings, assemblies, and dances above. Businessmen rented the wings for office space. Although the market ceased with the development of produce stores, the town hall continued to house the local government until 1982. In 1988 the building was converted to a local history museum in Fredericksburg.

Last Updated: January 4, 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

111-0097

Sligo

Fredericksburg (Ind. City)

111-5265

Fredericksburg and Confederate Cemeteries

Fredericksburg (Ind. City)

111-0089

St. George’s Episcopal Church

Fredericksburg (Ind. City)