Old Courthouse General District Court

After working in Warrenton for three years, the Old Courthouse majestically presiding over the junction of Waterloo, Winchester, Alexandria Pike, and Main became something of an old friend. I passed it every time I came to Old Town. It’s the landmark to which you refer when giving directions. It’s your indication you’re leaving the «new» Warrenton and entering the old. On the hour, its bell tolls with a deep, resounding knell.
Built in 1890 and the seventh incarnation of the original, the Old Courthouse is beautiful edifice modeled after the Parthenon. Towering over the ivory building is an absolutely *enormous* American Elm that has grown there for over 100 years, surviving against traffic, paving, Dutch Elm disease, and even a few accidents in its day.
Despite its constant presence in my life for several years, I’d never actually been *inside* the Old Courthouse until I returned to Warrenton for a former coworker’s wedding. She and her husband tied the knot in a simple but lovely civil ceremony in the one and only courtroom in the building. Too bad all courtrooms don’t look as stately or as Federal. The gilded-​frame portraits, bankers-​chair-​style chairs, gold chandeliers, and decorative molding reminded me a bit of Independence Hall. The courtroom actually made a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony.
If you find yourself in Old Town Warrenton, take a few minutes to walk to the end of Main Street to admire the Old Courthouse. It’s a photo opportunity you’ll be happy you took.