Although much altered from its original and probably very simple appearance, the former courthouse of Middlesex County is one of Virginia’s rare colonial court structures. A courthouse was ordered for Urbanna in 1685, but local arguments over ferry access to the county seat prevented any construction until 1748. During the American Revolution, the local Committee of Safety met here to try local gentry for suspected loyalty to the crown. In 1847 the Middlesex justices moved the county seat to the more accessible settlement of Saluda. The Old Middlesex County Courthouse was then remodeled in the Gothic style and used as an interdenominational chapel. During the Civil War the building served as a barracks for Confederate troops. From 1920 to 1948 Old Middlesex County Courthouse housed an Episcopal congregation, after which it was deconsecrated and deeded to the Middlesex County Woman’s Club, which it continues to serve.