King and Queen Courthouse Green Historic District
Why it's listed
King and Queen Courthouse Green is an 11.5-acre cluster of buildings in rural King and Queen County, Virginia, where the county courthouse has stood since the county was created in 1691. A small brick compound holds the courthouse, old clerk's office and jail, joined by a granite Confederate monument from 1912 and a 1930s brick wall built as a WPA project. Nearby are a former tavern and hotel, a store building, a two-room school from about 1909 and a residence on the site of an earlier tavern. Union forces burned the courthouse, clerk's office and jail in 1864, and they were rebuilt in 1866; the tavern was the only building spared. Residents repeatedly petitioned to move or redraw the county but kept the seat in place. The district was listed for its governmental role, its architecture and its social history. It retains a high degree of integrity, and a modern courthouse complex built in 1997 lies adjacent.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant for Politics/Government, Architecture and Social History. It shows the layout and uses of a rural courthouse community that has remained largely intact and has hosted court functions for over 300 years despite fires, including the 1864 burning by Union forces, and attempts to move the county seat.
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 98001162, listed September 24, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Allen Circle and Courthouse Landing Rd., NW of Shacklefords, Shacklefords |
|---|---|
| County | King and Queen County |
| Listed | September 24, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001162 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1750-1940 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal; Late Victorian; Late 19th and early 20th Century American Movements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Courthouse functions continue in the district; the old clerk's office is used as a county archive and small museum, and a new courthouse (1997) sits adjacent. A later note says the old clerk's office building is currently vacant. |
| Acreage | 11.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.67016, -76.87891 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 98001162.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712671
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.