Old Isle of Wight Courthouse
Also known as: Isle of Wight County Court House
Why it's listed
Built around 1750 at the corner of Main and Mason Streets in Smithfield, this brick building served as the Isle of Wight County court house. It began as a one-story structure with a hipped roof and a rounded rear ell. The south facade has a five-bay arcaded porch of gauged, rubbed brick, and the brickwork is laid in Flemish bond above English bond. Smithfield was incorporated in 1752, and the county seat moved there with a court house, jail and clerk's office. When the county seat relocated to the center of the county in 1800, the court house became a private residence around 1812, gaining an upper story and dormers. Restoration began in 1938 under the local branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and was complete by 1961. Its porch arcade and T-shaped plan place it among a distinctive group of eighteenth-century Virginia court houses. The old courtroom now serves as a meeting room.
Significance in brief: The building is significant for its architecture. Its arcaded porch and T-shaped plan place it in a small, distinctive group of eighteenth-century Virginia court houses, along with those in Hanover, King William, Charles City and Richmond counties. It also records the county seat's move to Smithfield in 1752 and the long restoration of the building.
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 70000802, listed September 15, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE corner of Main and Mason Sts., Smithfield |
|---|---|
| County | Isle of Wight County |
| Listed | September 15, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000802 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (specific date 1750) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as excellent and the building is occupied. It is restored and used as a meeting room, and is owned by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Smithfield Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.98190, -76.63198 (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 70000802.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084281
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.