|
Warwick
County Courthouse Christmas Ornament
Warwick River Shire was one of the eight original shires (or counties) in the Virginia Colony in 1634, named for Sir Robert Rich, second Earl of Warwick. The Shire, between the James and York Rivers, occupied land long inhabited by the Kecoughtan Indians. New Settlers were granted large land patents from the crown. In 1643 Warwick County was newly defined, and the 1680 towns were created within the county. Warwick County affairs were conducted at the home of Commissioner Miles Cary, II at Richneck Plantation. but in 1691, a county complex called "Warwick Towne" was created in Denbigh Plantation. After the Revolutionary War, a new county seat was created near Stoney Run, and a one-story courthouse was built there in 1810. The county population outgrew this tiny courthouse, and a new two-story brick building with a cupola was erected at Courthouse Square in 1884 and used until July 1, 1958, when Warwick County and the City of Newport News merged. Through the tireless efforts of community leaders, the Newport News Historic Preservation Association, the Tidewater Genealogical Society, and the financial assistance of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Newport News, the 1884 Courthouse is reaching final stages of restoration. Funds raised by the sale of these ornaments will be used for these efforts.
|
