Dinwiddie County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Dinwiddie County Court House is a two-story brick temple-form building in the village of Dinwiddie, Virginia. Completed in 1851 in a simple Greek Revival style, it has Greek Doric pilasters framing the bays and a widened center bay. A 1858 court order called for remodeling it into two levels, but the work was interrupted by the Civil War. Early in the twentieth century the interior was refitted, including a stamped-metal ceiling in the courtroom. A rear wing, an east wing and the Doric portico were added in the early 1930s, the portico as a Civil Works Administration project. The building matters for its architecture and for its role in March 1865, when General Philip Sheridan's troops passed through the village and fought the Battle of Dinwiddie Court House against forces led by General Pickett. Sheridan described the building in his memoirs. The courthouse still sits at the head of a broad lawn beside a 1904 Clerk's Office.
Significance in brief: It is the architectural and historical focal point of the county, and has housed county government and courts since 1851. It was the scene of the March 1865 Battle of Dinwiddie Court House, which preceded the Battle of Five Forks. Despite later alterations, it keeps its simple antebellum character and a setting little changed since Sheridan's troops camped there.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73002008, listed March 21, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of U.S. 1 and VA 619, Dinwiddie |
|---|---|
| County | Dinwiddie County |
| Listed | March 21, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73002008 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in use for government purposes; condition described as fair and altered. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 37.07704, -77.58687 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73002008.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5278762
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.