Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/20/1982
NRHP Listing Date 09/09/1982
NRHP Reference Number 82004560
The earliest and most prominent landmark of the town of Pearisburg, the Federal-style Giles County Courthouse is the third courthouse to stand on the town’s central public square since Giles County was established in 1806. The two-story central block with its delicately ornamented octagonal cupola was constructed in 1836 by Thomas Mercer and was inspired by the several courthouses built by James Toncray, particularly the 1833 Montgomery County Courthouse in Christiansburg, since demolished. In May 1862 the courthouse square became the scene of an encounter between Union and Confederate troops that is graphically recorded in the diary of Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, the commanding Union officer present and later 19th president of the United States. The Giles County Courthouse has undergone various alterations; the portico was added in 1900.
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: May 24, 2022
