Virginia State Seal Virginia Department of Historic Resources

104-0057 Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District

Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District
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For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 01/18/1972

NRHP Listing Date 06/30/1972

NRHP Reference Number 72001503

The principal feature of this compact Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District in downtown Charlottesville is Court Square, a focus of county activity since it was laid out in 1762. In the early 1800s it was not unusual to see Thomas Jefferson conversing here with James Madison and James Monroe. On the square is the county courthouse of 1803, which also served originally as a community church where Jefferson sometimes attended services. Around the square sprang up mid-19th-century law offices, residences, and taverns, among which are the former Swan Tavern and the former Eagle Tavern. The 1851 Classical Revival town hall was purchased by Jefferson M. Levy, the then owner of Monticello, and converted into the Levy Opera House in 1887. Except for the multi-storied Monticello Hotel building, the district maintains a consistent scale and architectural harmony.  The Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District centers the much larger Charlottesville and Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District.


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


Updated: January 25, 2021