Old Russell County Courthouse
Also known as: Dickenson-Fugate House
Why it's listed
Near Dickensonville in Russell County, Virginia, a small stone building from 1799 survives as a wing of a later brick farmhouse. It served as the second Russell County court house, built after the first log court house burned in 1798. The county, formed in 1786, once covered much of Southwest Virginia. When the county seat moved to Lebanon in 1818, plans for a new town around the court house were abandoned, and the building was left in a rural setting. The Dickenson family then acquired it and attached it to a two-story brick farmhouse built in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. The Fugate family, related to the Dickensons, took possession in the 1860s. The stone section is three bays wide with coursed rubble walls, six-over-six windows, and a gable roof. Inside, it keeps a two-room plan and one wall of raised paneling with cabinets. It is valued as one of the earliest public buildings in the region.
Significance in brief: It is the second court house of Russell County and one of the earliest public buildings in Southwest Virginia. The austere stone structure is a rare survival that shows the character of the first court houses in this remote area. It is well preserved and keeps much of its original exterior and finely detailed interior trim.
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 73002059, listed July 16, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Dickensonville on U.S. 58A, Dickensonville |
|---|---|
| County | Russell County |
| Listed | July 16, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73002059 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th and 19th centuries |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in fair condition, altered, and on its original site; described as basically sound but needing minor repairs and maintenance. Used as a private residence. A later grant application describes a rehabilitation project. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.84069, -82.23756 (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 73002059.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263854
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.