LUNENBURG
COURTHOUSE

The present site for the Lunenburg County Courthouse site was selected in 1782 and a two-room frame courthouse was completed in March 1787.  A new building was constructed in the mid-1820’s by Dabney Cosby and William A. Howard. Significant alterations to the building included the insertion of a second floor in 1857.  In 1939, the inimitable Marcellus Wright, FAIA removed the original interior stairs to the exterior . two run divided stair leading to the second floor. The second floor housed the courtroom  two meeting rooms in the front, and a judge’s chambers, restrooms, and jury room in the rear addition.  The first floor was modified to accommodate meeting a meeting room for the Supervisors and the clerk’s offices, record rooms, and a solid concrete vault room. Further modifications were made to the second floor to accomplish ADA compliance in 1974. 

The present courthouse is a two story Roman Doric structure, influenced by the Thomas Jefferson Courthouses at Charlotte Court House and Goochland.  The old courthouse has served its noble purpose, but the current Judge, Judge William “Billy” Wellon required restoration of the original courtroom to be continued in use as the Circuit Courtroom.  The program for expansion prepared for Lunenburg by DASA suggested twenty thousand additional square feet to accommodate the function of the General District and Circuit courts business and record keeping.  The program was expanded further by the county to add an additional twenty thousand square feet for the sheriff’s office, a courtroom that would accommodate the Board of Supervisor’s public meetings, the officers of all the Courts, and the Constitutional Officers and their offices of the County. 

The completed project was bid at about 15% over the projected budget and the County Board of Supervisors rejected the design in its entirety, and ordered the present courthouse designed and built by another architect.

The design by Don Swofford, FAIA for Lunenburg is a timeless piece which can be built in the future and drawings and specifications were transferred to the Clerk of the County for safe keeping in anticipation of that event.