In June, 1799, Richard Ratcliffe sold 4 acres of land to the Fairfax County commissioners for $1.00. This land, basically donated by Ratcliffe, was needed for the construction of a new county courthouse. Over the years, the Fairfax County Courthouse has been a courthouse, housed Union and Confederate soldiers, then became the headquarters for the Union Army when they took it from the Confederate army. The interior of the original building of the Fairfax County Courthouse was said to have been destroyed by the soldiers. Throughout the years, numerous buildings were added to the courthouse complex, and numerous restorations took place both indoors and out. In the 1960s restoration of the courthouse - to bring it back to its original design - was started and finally completed in 1967; today, the Fairfax County Courthouse looks like it did when it was first constructed.
Visit the Fairfax County Courthouse
A visit to the Fairfax County Courthouse is like taking a step back in time. The exterior is eerily similar to the way it looked during bygone days of the Civil War. Two cannons sit on either side of a war memorial that marks the site of the opening conflict of the Civil War in 1861.
Tours of the Fairfax County Courthouse are only conducted on Fridays - and only if the weather cooperates. Tours are not held on Fridays that are county holidays. All tours are free and start at 11am and 3 pm. Visitors start the tour under the covered walkway, and enjoy a wonderful journey back through the history of Fairfax. Pictures, photographs, and documents highlight the changes that the courthouse underwent through the years.
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