Clarke County | US Courthouses

Clarke County is named for George Rogers Clarke, who was a soldier from Virginia during the American Revolutionary War.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Jefferson County, West Virginia

E – Loudon County and Fauquier County

S – Warren County

W – Frederick County

Created: March 8, 1836

County Seat:

Berryville 1836 – present

Old County Courthouse – Berryville

Location: 104 North Church Street / East Main Street

Built: 1837 – 1838

Style: Roman Revival

Architect: David Meade

Contractor: D H Allen, Magistrate and County Commissioners

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored Flemish-bond brick structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Berryville. The building is part of the Courthouse Complex which consists of the old courthouse, new courthouse, old clerk’s one story red colored brick office built in 1880s and sheriff’s office and jail built in 1900. The west front has a large portico with four white Tuscan colored columns rising to a wide pediment at the roof line. On the center of the roof is an octagonal cupola. The building has limestone ruble foundations. In the interior, the courtroom is located on the first story. The judge’s bench is on the north wall with the large arched window above it. There is a rear gallery fronted by a Tuscan entablature. The winding south stairs have square balusters and rounded handrails. The building houses the County General District Court and County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 26th Judicial Circuit. The building was damaged by fire in 1850 and was remodeled in 1851 in the Neo-Classical style when the portico and cupola were added. An addition was added on the north side in the 1960’s. On the south side is the new courthouse and on the the southwest corner of the grounds is the two story brick Old Sheriff’s Office and Jail built in 1900.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Clarke Ciunty 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 Courthouse – Berryville

Location: 102 North Church Street / East Main Street

Built: 1978 – 1979

Style: Modern Colonial Revival

Architect: J Everett Faubert

Contractor: Rickett Construction Company

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Berryville. The southwest front has a large portico with four large columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. There are lower east and west wings. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 26th Judicial Circuit.

See: The 26th Judicial Circuit includes Frederick County, Harrisonburg, Page County, Rockingham County, Shenandoah County and Winchester.

History: The county was created in 1836 and Berryville was selected as the county seat. An old academy building was used until the first courthouse was built in 1837 to 1838 and is still standing. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1978 to 1979.

Berryville-Clarke County Government Center – Berryville

Location: 101 Chalmers Court / East Main Street

Built: 2006 – 2008

Style: Modern

Architect: Baughan & Baukhages Architects of Luray

Contractor: Brechbill & Helman Construction Company, Inc. of Chambersburg Pennsylvania

Description: The building faces east and is a two story light red colored brick, metal and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Berryville to the south of the courthouse. The building is a “Y” shape with the east side forming a curve with entrance at the center. There is a wing on the west side of the building. The roof is hipped. The building is named as the Berryville-Clarke County Government Center.