Louisa County Courthouse
Also known as: DHR file # 54-81
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Why it's listed
Louisa County's seat of government centers on a brick courthouse completed in 1905 on Main Street in the town of Louisa. Two stories tall and five bays wide, it has a pedimented portico with four Ionic columns and an octagonal drum, dome and lantern rising above the roof. It was the fourth courthouse for the county and the third on this site, replacing an 1818 building judged beyond repair. Richmond architect D. Wiley Anderson, who designed many houses and public buildings in Virginia, drew up the plans. The surrounding complex holds an old jail first built in 1818 and rebuilt in 1868 after a fire, the 1830 Crank Building, the 1917 Ogg Memorial Building that began as a bank, a Confederate monument and a worn threshold from the earlier courthouse. The grouping was listed for its architecture, with the classical temple form seen as an expression of ideals of representative government, and its period of significance runs from 1830 to 1917.
Significance in brief: The courthouse is significant under Criterion C as an outstanding example of Classical Revival public architecture, designed by regionally prominent Richmond architect D. Wiley Anderson. Its temple form and classical detailing were chosen to evoke rational, representative government. The complex also reflects a tradition of local government on or near this site since the eighteenth century.
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 90001998, listed December 28, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Main St. and VA 208, Louisa |
|---|---|
| County | Louisa County |
| Listed | December 28, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001998 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1830-1917 |
| Architect / builder | Anderson, D. Wiley |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The courthouse remains in use as a courthouse. The Ogg Building serves as county offices and the District Court, and the old jail is a museum run by the Louisa County Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.02459, -78.00382 (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 90001998.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712750
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.