A trading post at the juncture of two rural Virginia roads was the earliest community gathering spot at what would become Warrenton, the county seat of Fauquier County.  When the county was apportioned in 1759, it was the frontier of English civilization in the colony. Richard Henry Lee, who proposed the adoption of a Declaration of Independence, donated 71 acres of land for the county seat.  Construction on the courthouse, the first genuine public building, did not begin until after independence in 1790. 

The Old Court House you see today was built in 1893.  The white-columned, clock-spired building is a replica of the 1841 courthouse that was adapted from the one finished in 1791.  Before walking into this historic old building, be sure to take in the view from the portico of the distant Bull Run Mountains.  A roster of distinguished lawyers are associated with this courthouse.  The painting of John Marshall is significant because this courthouse is where he was first licensed to practice law.  Another lawyer who argued cases here was Samuel Chilton, who defended John Brown.

Flanking the courthouse are monuments to John Marshall and Col. John Singleton Mosby (the partisan leader is buried in the nearby Warrenton Cemetery, adjacent to a memorial marking the graves of 600 Confederate casualties).  To the right you’ll also see The Old Jail Museum (open Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.),  now the headquarters of the Fauquier Historical Society with exhibits on Warrenton and the county.  Displays include memorabilia associated with John Marshall and military artifacts with special emphasis on the Civil War.  Another exhibit focuses on canals, there is a bateau found in the Rappahannock River and an array of personal items from local residents dating from the 1700s and 1800s.  Harkening to the building’s history you can see the original kitchen of the 1808 jail, an 1823 cell room and a maximum security cell room (in use until 1966) complete with prisoner graffiti.  You’ll also see the exercise yard where once a three-person gallows was located.  Prisoners were required to observe executions from the jail’s second story windows.

There are other spots of interest to be seen on a self-guided walking tour.  Be sure to allocate enough time to browse through the enticing shops along Warrenton’s Main Street.  On Wednesday (7:30 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.) and Saturday (7:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.) there is a farmer’s market off Main Street on Fifth Street.

Just seven miles south of Warrenton off Route 643 is the 100-acre C.M. Crockett Park with its 109-acre lake.  You can enjoy it by land on the extensive nature trails or by water either by bringing your own boat or by renting a rowboat, paddle boat or canoe. 

If you head north of Warrenton on Route 17, you will reach the charming village of Marshall. Here, too, you can pick up a self-guided Heritage Map that pinpoints 38 points of interest in the second oldest town in the county, founded as Salem in 1797.  The name was changed in 1882 to avoid confusion with another Virginia town that had the same name.  The name Marshall honored the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court, whose home, Oak Hill, is just three miles west of town on Route 55.   Two churches in Marshall are of interest: the 1771 Baptist meeting house, the county’s oldest surviving colonial church and Salem Baptist Church, organized in 1872 by former enslaved African Americans.

Continuing north on Route 17 leads to Paris and Sky Meadows State Park; here nature trails link up with the Appalachian Trail.  The 1,862-acre park is a felicitous blend of pasture and woodlands.  The Mt. Bleak farmhouse, now the visitor center, has stood here for over 150 years.  The park has six hiking trails, two bridle trails, a fishing pond, picnic tables and 12 primitive hike-in camping areas. If you want to explore the rural back roads and villages of Fauquier County, pick up a copy of the Sampler which has a northern and southern driving tour.  You can obtain a copy by calling the visitor center at (800) 820-1021.

Directions: From I-95 take Route 17 north, then pick up Routes 15/29 north to Warrenton. Or from I-66, take Route 29 south to Warrenton.