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Jefferson County Courthouse (West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
The first Jefferson County Courthouse was built in Charles Town, West Virginia
in 1808, on a lot donated by Charles Washington
. It was replaced by a larger building about 1836, which comprises the core of the present courthouse. The building is historically notable as the site of two trials for treason
: that of John Brown
in 1859, and those of unionizing coal miners from Mingo County, West Virginia
, a consequence of the Battle of Blair Mountain
, whose trials were moved from the southern part of the state in 1922 as a result of a change of venue.
The courthouse is a red brick building in the Georgian style. It has an unusual clock tower with a square dome that resembles Second Empire structures.
Charles Town, West Virginia
Charles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,907 at the 2000 census. Due to its similar name, travelers have sometimes confused this city with the state's capital, Charleston.-History:...
in 1808, on a lot donated by Charles Washington
Charles Washington
Charles Washington was the youngest brother of United States President George Washington. He was a son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington....
. It was replaced by a larger building about 1836, which comprises the core of the present courthouse. The building is historically notable as the site of two trials for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
: that of John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
in 1859, and those of unionizing coal miners from Mingo County, West Virginia
Mingo County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,253 people, 11,303 households, and 8,217 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile . There were 12,898 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile...
, a consequence of the Battle of Blair Mountain
Battle of Blair Mountain
The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the largest civil uprisings in United States history and the largest armed insurrection since the American Civil War...
, whose trials were moved from the southern part of the state in 1922 as a result of a change of venue.
The courthouse is a red brick building in the Georgian style. It has an unusual clock tower with a square dome that resembles Second Empire structures.
External links
- Courthouse, George & Washington Streets, Charles Town, Jefferson, WV: 12 photos, 2 data pages, and supplemental materials at Historic American Building Survey