Goochland County - American Courthouses

Goochland County is named for William Gooch, who was the royal lieutenant governor from 1727 to 1749.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Louisa County and Hanover County

E – Henrico County

S – Chesterfield County, Powhatan County and Cumberland County

W – Fluvanna County

Created: February 1, 1727

County Seat:

Beaverdam 1727 – 1800

Goochland 1800 – present

County Courthouse – Goochland

Location: 2938 River Road West / Courthouse Lane

Built: 1826

Style: Greek Revival

Architect: Dabney Cosby

Contractor: Valentine Parrish and Dabney Crosby

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Goochland. The building has a free-standing tetrastyle portico in the Tuscan Order with four white colored columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. Flemish and American bond brickwork are used on the body of the building and the roof is topped with a slate roof. In the interior, the courtroom has a gallery with staircase. The front of the gallery has Doric entablature. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County General District Court and County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit. Additions were added in 1955 and 1990. The architect was Wood Sweet Swofford and the contractor was ***. On the east side is an addition with four columns and an arcade. On the northeast side is an addition which houses the court. The building sits in the center of courthouse square with the old Clerk’s Office (1847) and the James Clopton Knibb Building (1906) on the north side and the old stone jail (1833).

See: Thomas Jefferson designed the Roman Temple style of courthouse. Prominent among the courthouse builders who had worked at the University of Virginia were Dabney Cosby, Sr., Malcolm F Crawford, and William B Phillips. They in turn influenced other builders in the Jeffersonian idiom, including Branch Ellington, William A Howard, David Meade, and Valentine Parrish. Courthouse still standing include those in Buckingham County and Charlotte County designed by Jefferson and those in Caroline County, Clarke County, Cumberland County, Goochland County, Greene County, Lunenburg County, Madison County, Mecklenburg County, Nottoway County, Page County, Rappahannock County and Sussex County.

See: The 16th Judicial Circuit includes Albemarle County, Charlottesville, Culpeper County, Fluvanna County, Greene County, Louisa County, Madison County and Orange County.

History: The county was created in 1727 and Beaverdam was selected as the county seat. The first court met in private homes. The first courthouse was built in 1730 to 1937 in Beaverdam. The second courthouse was built in 1763 on the land of Alexander Bain in Beaverdam. The county seat was moved to Goochland in 1800 and the third courthouse was built on the courthouse square. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1826.

County Administration Building – Goochland

Location: 1800 Sandy Hook Road / River Road West

Built: Unknown

Style: Neo-Classical

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The south front has a high central portico supported by two tall columns with pediment above. The roof line is flat. The building was a former high school and was remodeled in 2005. The architect was Rawlings Wilson & Associates and the contractor was Southwood Builders, Inc.