Historical Guide to Old Charlottesville / With mention of its statues and of Albemarle's shrines

by Mary Rawlings

CONTENTS

PAGE [ALBEMARLE COUNTY COURT HOUSE] 2 [TARLETON AND JACK JOUETT.] 3 [PRESENT COURT HOUSE BUILDING] 4 [JEFFERSON’S WILL] 5 [COURT HOUSE VOTING] 5 [JOHN S. MOSBY.] 6 [BUILDINGS ON THE SQUARE] 7 [TOWN HALL] 7 [SWAN TAVERN] 7 [SLAVE TRADE] 8 [VILLAGE LIBRARY] 9 [SWISS WATCH-MAKER] 9 [EAGLE TAVERN] 9 [“SATAN’S THUMB”] 10 [CIVIL WAR PERIOD] 11 [SHERIDAN’S RAID] 11 [ESCAPE FROM GALLOWS] 12 [MILITARY OCCUPATION] 13 [ALBEMARLE’S SHRINES] 16 [MONTICELLO] 16 [ASH LAWN] 16 [BUILDING OF ASH LAWN] 18 [SALE OF ASH LAWN] 18 [BOXWOOD GARDEN AND STATUE] 19 [THE MICHIE TAVERN] 20 [CHARLOTTESVILLE’S STATUES] 22 [LEWIS AND CLARK STATUE] 22 [LOCATION OF STATUE] 22 [MERIWETHER LEWIS] 22 [WILLIAM CLARK] 23 [LOUISIANA PURCHASE.] 23 [STONEWALL JACKSON STATUE] 24 [GEORGE ROGERS CLARK STATUE] 26 [LEE STATUE] 27 [MINIATURE MODEL OF LEE] 29 [ENVOI] 30

COURT SQUARE
1828
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
Floyd Johnson Courtesy of Alb. Co. Hist. Soc.

Albemarle County Courthouse. Built 1803. J. Rawlings Thomson

HISTORICAL GUIDE TO OLD CHARLOTTESVILLE
WITH MENTION OF ITS STATUES AND OF
ALBEMARLE’S SHRINES

Upon the forming of the County of Albemarle in 1745, its boundaries included what are now Buckingham, Amherst, Nelson, and Fluvanna Counties, with parts of Appomattox and Campbell—the Blue Ridge being the Western line. The county seat was then placed in Scottsville on the James, but with final boundary adjustments in 1761 it was felt necessary to remove the court house to a more central site. Thus Charlottesville was not a town of natural growth, but a political creation. It was formed by Act of Assembly, November 5th, 1761, to take effect January 1st, 1762. The name was bestowed in honor of Princess Charlotte, bride of George III.

The Court House Square was owned by the County, and adjoined the town on the North. A court house was erected promptly, but for some years town growth was slow, and as late as 1779 the village was said to contain only about a dozen houses. In 1835 it consisted of “about 200 handsome and comfortable dwellings, generally of brick, 4 houses of worship, 3 large hotels, 1 tavern, 2 book stores, 2 druggist stores, and about 20 mercantile establishments.”

The court house and its environs now constitute Old Charlottesville, and some account of the locality will be found in the ensuing pages.