Sussex County is named for Sussex County in Great Britain.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Surry County
W – Dinwiddie County and Prince George County
Created: November 1, 1754 
County Seat:
Sussex 1754 – present
County Courthouse – Sussex
Location: 15088 Courthouse Road / Princeton Road
Built: 1823 – 1824
Style: Colonial Revival
Architect: Thomas Jefferson and Dabney Cosby, Sr.
Contractor: Dabney Cosby, Sr.
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored Flemish bond brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Sussex with the one story Clerk’s Office on the south side and one story Office Building on the north side. The east front has a projecting center section with three arched openings on the first story with recessed entrance. There is a pediment with a large fanlight. On the roof is an open cupola with a red colored hipped roof. In the interior there is a vestibule on the first story and stairs ascending to the County Circuit Court courtroom on the second story. The courtroom has paneling on the west wall and was originally two stories high having a galley at the east end.
Note: The Sussex Courthouse Complex includes the courthouse, Clerk’s Office (1923-1924) designed by Henry T Barnham and built by J B Kitchen and Son and with addition built in 1982 designed by Mosley Hening Associates, Inc. and constructed by Brooks & Company, County Office Building (1953) designed by Bernard B Spigel and constructed by Silas S Kea and Sons, Jail and Dillard House (1800). On the east across the road is the Treasurer’s Office. The County Judicial Center is along the south side.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Sussex County Courthouse
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.
County Judicial Center – Sussex
Location: 15088 Courthouse Road / Princeton Road
Built: 1993 – 1995
Style: Modern
Architect: The Moseley McClintock Group
Contractor: Kenbridge Construction Company Inc.
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The buiolding is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Sussex on the south side of the courthouse. The north front has a small portico with four columns with pediment on the second story. Along the north front is a one story porch with arched openings. The second story has square windows. The roof is hipped. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County General District Court and County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit.
See: The 6th Judicial Circuit includes Brunswick County, Emporia, Greensville County, Hopewell, Prince George County and Surry County.
History: The county was created in 1754 and Sussex was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was in 1755 to 1756. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1823 to 1824. The County Judicial Center was constructed in 1993 to 1995.
County Courthouse – Sussex
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Office Buildibg – Sussex
County Clerk’s Office – Sussex
County Judicial Center – Sussex
Photos taken 2013