Institution

The Courthouse Village and Municipal Center Historic District’s story essentially begins in and around the courthouse square, where some of the oldest structures of the district can be found. The clear centerpiece is the Courthouse itself, which was built in 1822 to serve as a more centrally located seat of government for the people of Princess Anne County. It was built around an intersection known at the time as the “Crossroads.” Today this is the intersection of Princess Anne Road and North Landing Road. The Courthouse served as the foundation upon which a small town was established: the aptly named Princess Anne Court House. The Courthouse, however, was not the first structure in the area, as people did live in the area long before it was built. The earliest structure within the district is actually the Whitehurst-Buffington House, built in 1793, which belonged to the Whitehurst family. Originally a simple hall-parlor house comprised of one floor, within a century it was expanded to become the large central-hall residence of two floors it is today. The house is currently being preserved with the goal of serving as an example of life in Virginia in the early United States. In the years following the construction of the 1822 Courthouse, the town grew and expanded. The construction of a tavern was ordered by the Virginia General Assembly in order to house travelers who embarked on the long journeys necessary to arrive at the new Courthouse, though that tavern later burned to the ground in 1899. By the year 1835, Princess Anne Court House had 17 homes, multiple Methodist churches and elementary schools, and a store. The town also employed numerous carpenters and mechanics. The area experienced a slight decline after the agricultural economy fell apart in 1830 and spent many years in recovery. In 1860, a canal and county bank were opened, and the area began to grow again—until, that is, the Civil War broke out in 1861. Although the area saw no significant skirmishes between the Union and the Confederacy, like much of the South, it fell into decline. It was not until after Reconstruction that the area began to experience substantial growth again. Notable sites from the post-Reconstruction era include the Kellam House, which stands today as one of the few examples of the antebellum era in the surrounding area. A Clerk’s Office was built in 1896 next to the Courthouse and its accompanying green and nine years later, in 1905, a statue was commissioned to honor the “Princess Anne County Confederate Heroes” on the Courthouse green, although due to controversy over the legacy and motives of the Confederacy the statue is no longer on-site. In the 1920s, the 1822 Courthouse was renovated after nearly a hundred years of use. Other noteworthy sites include an auto repair shop built in 1927, which marked the area’s growth and modernization in the early Modern era, and the Court House Elementary School constructed in 1931, one of the first consolidated public schools in all of P.A. County. As the area grew and modernized, local government had to grow to keep up. With the dawn of the Modern era, Princess Anne County began to invest in delivering its residents the services a proper modern county should have. In 1954 and 1955, respectively, a police headquarters and a fire station were established. In 1956, a Norfolk architect named Bernard B. Spigel designed a master plan for a new municipal center in the area. Although major parts of his plans were abandoned, including a cultural center, some of the planned buildings were constructed, like a new health department building. The Courthouse and Clerk’s office were both expanded in the early 1960s, and a new county court and probate office and a school administration building were also built. On Jan. 1, 1963, Princess Anne County merged with Virginia Beach. The municipal center used by the former P.A. County that was built in the preceding decade was quickly adopted by the newly enlarged independent city of Virginia Beach. After just three years, plans were drawn up for more expansions and an even greater municipal center which incorporated some of the older structures into the design. By the end of the 1960s, the Municipal Center had grown to include a primary Administration Building (or City Hall), Municipal Courts, a Circuit Court, a Welfare Building, and even a Heating and Cooling Plant. To properly tie in the older surrounding structures, much of these buildings were built in the Colonial Revival architectural style. After over 15 years of development, the Municipal Center was finally completed. Since then, many of the buildings have continued their original purposes and have continued to be a part of Virginia Beach’s administrative system. On May 31, 2019, the Municipal Center was the site of a deadly shooting. Thirteen people, including the perpetrator, were killed, and four others were injured. The incident proved to be another instance of the danger of mass shootings in the United States and furthered the debate over the role of guns in Virginia Beach and throughout the country. In the wake of this horrific event, the people of Virginia Beach adopted the “VB Strong” saying in unity and they continue to heal from this tragedy to this very day.

The Virginia Beach Courthouse Village and Municipal Center Historic District is an area centered around the historic Princess Anne County Courthouse and the mid-twentieth century Municipal Center for the City of Virginia Beach. Encompassing nearly three hundred years of early state and local history, the district contains sites of historical significance ranging from the early days of the American Republic to the modern era. The district is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. 

Synopsis:Following the Civil War, Confederate veterans and families desired a monument to commemorate their service during the war. The primary sponsor, the Princess Anne Camp of Confederate Veterans, garnered the approval from the Board of Supervisors of Princess Anne County to put the statue in front of the Princess Anne County Courthouse. Thereafter, on April 4, 1903, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution allowing Princess Anne County to pay $500 from the County Levy to James H. Bonney of the Princess Anne Camp of Confederate Veterans to assist in the construction of the monument. In addition to the Princess Anne Camp of Confederate Veterans, some primary sponsors of the monument include the Princess Anne Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy, Princess Anne Mason Lodge No. 25, and the Princess Anne Sons of Confederate Veterans. On the day of the unveiling, 1,500 people from across Tidewater, including Norfolk and Portsmouth, ventured to Princess Anne County to witness the monument. It was celebrated by these individuals as a means of cherishing their service and their family's service during the Civil War.  The monument is inscribed with the following: 1861- Virginia - 1865 Sic Semper Tyrannis Princess Anne County Confederate Heroes Your arms are stacked,Your splendid colors furled,Your drums are still,Aside, your trumpets laid Erected 1905 Controversy:Beginning in 2017, many Confederate monuments came under fire as people cited the monuments reflected a time period in which people of African descent were held in the bondage of slavery and in the years after, where African American people were systematically discriminated against. This specific monument was under controversy because of its location in front of the Princess Anne County Courthouse. While this was a central location, critics note that slave auctions were regularly held there, and they believe that the monument was placed there as a reminder to people of color that they were once in chains. Additionally, some people note that the monument was placed in front of the central court of the county, thus believing it was meant to intimidate people of color, representing imbalances and the unfair treatment of the court system. They therefore reason it should be taken down. Conversely, defenders of the monument cite that their ancestors placed the monument because they were proud of their service to their former country, the Confederate States of America, and their Commonwealth of Virginia. They do not believe the monument is racist or had the intentions to intimidate people of color. Other defenders of the monument believe that the monument's placement is history, and must be preserved. These defenders say that the monument serves as a vital reminder of America's past, and should not be removed. RemovalIn January 2020, the Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission formally recommended to the Virginia Beach City Council that "the removal of the statue, even if allowed by state law, would accomplish little in reconciling differences or promoting discussion on the impacts of slavery, the Civil War, segregation and discrimination." Rather than removal, the Commission called for new interpretive plaque acknowledging slavery's history. As the Commission's statement suggests, there were legal doubts as to whether the monument could be legally removed, as Virginia legal code prevents the removal of war monuments. Yet the Virginia General Assembly ultimately passed a law in 2020 that allowed local communities to remove Confederate statues if they chose. In July 2020, following the death of Black man George Floyd, nationwide protests over systemic racism, and the removal of many Confederate monuments across the nation, the Virginia Beach City Council again considered the issue of the Princess Anne Confederate Monument. Following public comments on July 23, the Council voted unanimously (11-0) to remove and store the monument. Two days later on July 25, crews removed the monument, leaving only the stone base. As one onlooker noted, "To see that happen, to see it gone now, I mean, it's a start. You know that's change."[6] The monument currently remains in storage, and the city will consider proposals from museums and historical groups regarding the monument's future.

The Princess Anne County Confederate Monument broke ground on October 19, 1904 and was unveiled on November 15, 1905. The monument depicts a standard Confederate private, and it was erected in front of the Princess Anne County Courthouse. In 2017, the monument came under scrutiny following numerous outcries across the country to remove Confederate monuments from the public eye. The Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission was tasked with formulating a recommendation to the Virginia Beach City Council and recommended the statue remain but with additional interpretive plaques. In July 2020, however, the City Council voted to remove the statue. The statue was taken down on July 25, and it will remain in storage while the City Council considers proposals for possible relocation.

The Confederate Monument standing tall in front of the old courthouse. 

Princess Anne County Confederate Monument (1905-2020)

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Princess Anne County felt compelled to provide a better, more modern education system to its citizens. After decades of having public school take place in many one-room schoolhouses dotted around the area, P.A. County began to pursue a policy of school consolidation. The idea was this: phase out individual schoolhouses in favor of larger schools. Large schools would be able to serve multiple schoolhouses' students at a central location, and they would also reap the added benefits of having more teachers, more equipment, more grades (kindergarten to twelfth grade), and a more diversified and improved curriculum. The first consolidated high school would open in 1908, and a number of other schools would also be built, including Court House Elementary School in 1931. The original Court House Elementary School building was constructed in 1921 in the hamlet of Princess Anne. It was a two-story wooden structure with classrooms on both floors and a small auditorium upstairs. Serving Princess Anne for nearly a decade, the school absorbed the students of four schoolhouses, among them Hickory Bridge (which was across the street from Court House), Tabernacle, Shipps Corner, and Beech Grove, though the school was not yet consolidated. The first Court House Elementary School’s life was cut short by a boiler explosion in March 1931. The story goes that a janitor attempted to ignite the boiler fire with kerosene, and because of this, it blew up, burning the school to the ground. Soon after the debris had been cleared, a new Court House Elementary School began to be planned. The services of the Norfolk architectural firm Rudolph, Cook &amp; Van Leeuwen, a firm mainly known for office and apartment buildings, were hired to design the new school. While the design and construction phase went on, the students of the first Court House continued their education in two rooms of the old P.A. County Courthouse building. The new Court House Elementary School was designed and built within a year’s time for the overall price of $349,000. Its initial staff included principal Harry S. White and four teachers. By Thanksgiving of November 1931, the new building was complete and school was ready to begin inside. Designed in the Colonial Revival architectural style, the school was a very formal brick structure. The front entrance had a double pilaster and a triangular pediment with fan light below, and opened to the central T-shaped hallway. The school had eight classrooms; five were on the second floor (one was used as a library), and three were downstairs. On the first floor, there was also an auditorium which doubled as a gymnasium, the school's kitchen and cafeteria, and two bathrooms. Court House also had athletic fields, including one baseball field, outside. In 1955, a separate annex containing nine classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, and administrative offices, was built next to the old school for the cost of $298,000 (which also paid for air conditioning in the old building’s library and office). In 1964, space concerns prompted another expansion; two modular classrooms (which are no longer on-site) were added. Court House Elementary School closed between 1985 and 1989. It then became the school system’s print shop until 1997. Since then it has been used for office space, while the 1955 annex has been used by Virginia Beach;s child services as a residential facility. It is the oldest surviving elementary school building of the county’s consolidation period.

Constructed in 1931, Court House Elementary was Princess Anne County’s third consolidated public elementary school. Its students were taught the basic subjects of American and Virginia history, English, arithmetic, and geography, with an average class size lower than twenty. In the 1950s and 1960s, public school enrollment grew, and classrooms began to be overcrowded. This caused Court House to expand in 1955 and once again in 1964. It continued as a public elementary school until closing between 1985 and 1989.

A view of the 1931 Court House Elementary School building.

Court House Elementary School

History&nbsp; In 1793, a year after the first lighthouse was built at Cape Henry, the Whitehurst family built their farmhouse. Daniel Whitehurst, appointed as a Commissioner, authorized the building of the Virginia Beach Courthouse on a property near his farm in 1820. The Whitehurst farm was also home to James Howard Whitehurst who joined the 16th Virginia Regiment of the Confederate Army in 1862. He was captured in April 1865. His tombstone remains on the property. The property stayed in the Whitehurst family until 1940 when the farm was sold to the Bratten family. In 1953, the Bratten family sold the farm to the Buffington's, who maintained the property until 1986. Currently, the home is being maintained by the Whitehurst-Buffington House Foundation as a museum.&nbsp; Architectural Significance The original house was white clapboard and included one room downstairs and a sleeping loft upstairs.&nbsp;Overtime the house was bricked and enlarged by the Whitehurst family. The gambrel roof in front and the long sloping roof in the back are indicative of the “saltbox” design that was popular during the early Federal period. The home has two large chimneys on either end of the home and the front windows incude louvered shutters. There is also preserved hardware such as a lock from 1793.&nbsp;

Built in 1793, the Whitehurst-Buffington House was designated as one of the 50 most historically significant structures in Virginia Beach. The house is being restored and preserved as a living example of Virginia life in 18th and 19th centuries and as a tribute to the Whitehurst family.

Whitehurst-Buffington House

The
Princess Anne County Courthouse was the sixth and final courthouse built for
Princess Anne County. Citizens had petitioned the Virginia General Assembly in
1819 to relocate the courthouse from Kempsville to a more convenient location.
The General Assembly approved and appointed five (5) men from Norfolk County to
select the location. They selected a 5-acre tract of land at a place known as
the Crossroads. The county paid $300 for the site from the heirs of Henry
Murden. This area eventually was called the Village at Princess Anne
Courthouse. 1

The
General Assembly appointed five (5) men from Princess Anne County to sell the
courthouse property in Kempsville and to contract for the construction of the
new courthouse. In August 1820 they contracted with James Keenan to build the
courthouse and a jail for $8,900. The Courthouse was reported to be ready for
occupancy in December 1822. The Courthouse building was originally shaped like
a T with the entrance being at the top bar of the T and the court room being in
the leg of the T. The court room was two stories tall with a balcony. The
entrance area (top bar of the T) had an open arcade in the two central bays.
The county clerk’s office was located in the Courthouse at one end of the top
bar of the T.

The
courthouse was used by the county justices to conduct the business of the
county and to try civil and criminal cases. The courthouse was also the primary
public building in the county and the courthouse green or square was the
primary location for public activities. Part of the Courthouse property was
identified for lease in 1824 to allow for the construction of an ordinary
(tavern) and other buildings for the “Convenience and Comfort of visitors.” In
the period following the Civil War, county management was vested in a Board of
Supervisors and they conducted the county business in the Courthouse building.

In
1888 the court room was transformed by dividing the two-story open space into
two separate floors, with the court room being on the upper floor while the
lower floor was divided into offices. The Clerk’s offices were moved out of the
courthouse in 1896 when a separate building was constructed for that function
(it is located just to the southeast of the courthouse). In 1906/07 additions
on each side of the leg of the T made the building the rectangular shape that
we see today. A one-story porch was built on the front of the Courthouse sometime
between 1906 and 1918 and two of the second story window openings were
lengthened into doorways. A gable with lunette window was also added to the front
façade at this time.

In
1918, the porch had a second story added to it, creating a two-tiered,
full-width Tuscan-columnned entry porch. Due to increased case load, additional
court buildings were constructed beginning with a Circuit Court court room to
the north of the historic Courthouse and connected by an open arcade in 1961. In
1966 the two-story porch was replaced with a full-width portico with five
double height Doric columnns and a brick stoop. The Princess Anne County
Courthouse ceased to be used for judicial functions with the dedication of the
new Virginia Beach Judicial Center in 1993. Today it houses offices for the
Emergency Management Office and the Public Utilities Department.

The Princess Anne County Courthouse was constructed in 1822 after county residents had petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to move the courthouse function from Kempsville. This location was chosen because of its central location in the county. The original courthouse complex included the county clerk's office (contained in the courthouse building) and a jail located behind the courthouse. 

The 1822 Princess Anne County Courthouse as it appears today.

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Virginia Beach Courthouse Village and Municipal Center Historic District

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