Newport News is named for Christopher Newport’s “good news” by Jamestown colonists who left to return to England aboard a ship of Captain Christopher Newport and who then turned back to Jamestown after encountering a fleet of supply ships, or from the English word “news” meaning “new town” or from “New Port Newce” named for Sir William Newce and who received a land grant in the area.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – James City County and York County
E – York County and Hampton
S – Portsmouth and Suffolk
W – Isle of Wight County and Surry County
Warwick County 
Created: 1637
Warwick County Seat
Warwick Towne 1690 – 1810
Denbigh 1810 – 1888
Newport News 1888 – 1958
Newport News 1958 merged Warwick County
Independent City
Created : 1896
Courthouse – Newport News
Location: 2500 Washington Avenue / 25th Street
Built: 1986 – 1988
Style: Modern
Architect: Sasaki Associates, Inc. of Boston, Massechusetts
Contractor: Kjellstrom & Lee, Inc. of Norfolk
Description: The building faces southwest and is a three story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is rectangular with the southwest front is recessed on the first story and with brick faced pillars and a central entrance. The second and third stories have vertical; windows trimmed with concrete. Along the sides, the windows are in groups of three windows. The roof line is flat. The building houses the General District Court and the Circuit Court.
Old Courthouse – Newport News
Location: 2501 Huntington Avenue / 25th Street
Built: 1950 – 1951
Style: Modern
Architect: Forrest W Colle of Williams, Coile and Blanchard
Contractor: Virginia Engineering Company
Description: The building faces northeast and is a four story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The windows are in horizontal groups. Above the northeast entrance is a high narrow vertical windows section extending up to the fourth story. The roof line is flat. The building houses the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and was formerly the courthouse.
Old Warwick County 1811 Courthouse – Denbigh
Location: 14421 Old Courthouse Way / Grissom Way
Built: 1810 – 1811
Style: Federal
Architect: T Sanday
Contractor: T Sanday
Description: The building faces northeast and is a one story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Denbigh to the northwest of the 1884 courthouse. The northeast front has a white colored portico supported by four columns. The building is “T” shaped and the roof is hipped. During construction, the supervisors were T R Dunn and R Ratcliff.
Old Warwick County 1885 Courthouse – Denbigh
Location: 14421 Old Courthouse Way / Court House Drive
Built: 1884 – 1885
Style: Italianate
Architect: George Moser
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces northeast and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The rectangular building is located on landscaped grounds. There is a shallow metal covered hipped roof with three shallow cross gables. On the roof is a square wooden bell cupola that rises above the central projecting bay.
History: Warwick County was created in 1834 as one of eight shires of Virginia and originally was called Warwick River Shire after Robert Rich, the Earl of Warwick. In 1637 Warwick county was created. In 1890, Warwick Towne became the county seat and the first court met at Richneck Plantation. In 1810 the county seat was moved to Denbigh. The first courthouse, a one story “T” shaped structure was built in 1810 to 1811 and is still standing. The second courthouse was built in 1884 to 1885 and is still standing. The county seat was moved to Newport News in 1888 and returned to Denbigh in 1896 when Newport News became an Independent City. The court was housed in an office building in the downtown Newport News and returned to the second courthouse until 1958 when Warwick County and Newport News were merged. In 1896 the first courthouse was a downtown building. The second courthouse was constructed in 1950 to 1951. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1986 to 1988.
Courthouse – Newport News
Photos taken 2013