User:Alexiskferia/Draft Eastville

The Northampton County Courthouse Historical District is made up of three distinct buildings, a Courthouse and a Clerk's Office dating to 1731, and a Prison dating to 1814. It is located in Northampton County, Virginia, and houses documents dating back to 1632.

History
The building was constructed by John Marshall in 1731 at the cost of 50,000 pounds of tobacco. Built in the Flemish bond style, the brick building measured approximately 35 feet by 23 feet. The Clerk's Office was built adjacent, featuring diagonally battened door fastens and a strange assortment of variously sized paving stones.

The building remained in use through 1795, when another courthouse was constructed nearby. It was then turned into a family house for a rent of $1 per year, on the condition that the new lessee would fund a new roof for the building.

Preservation
The court house remained in the possession of the original lessee and his descendants until it was purchased by the county in 1913 for $4,000. Preservation Virginia had the building moved to its current location, near the Clerk's Office. The Office and the nearby Jail, both of which had fallen into disrepair, were turned over to Preservation Virginia for restoration and preservation. All three buildings underwent extensive repair in the 1950s. The Clerk's Office currently holds a museum of Native American artifacts, while the Debtor's Prison holds a collection of 19th Century tools.