First Corporation Court

Old Jail at Ninth and Clay Streets, Erected early 19th Century

On May 6, 1805 in the Masonic Hall on the corner of Ninth and Church street, the first Court was established within the town of Lynchburg. Prior to 1805, court proceedings were held at the county seat in Campbell County. The first court was held by:

• William Warwick, mayor
• Thomas Wyatt, recorder
• George D. Winston, Samuel Jordan Harrison, Roderick Taliaferro and Meredith Lambert, Aldermen
• William Norvell was appointed Clerk
• John Davis was appointed Sergeant
• Thomas S. McCelland, William Davenport, and Josiah Leake were admitted to “practice law as council and attorneys.”

Beyond the town limits was a small brick building used as a jail, which only accommodated a few prisoners, but proved sufficient for the town’s needs.

From 1805 to 1813, when the first courthouse in Lynchburg was erected, Mason’s Hall was used as a courthouse for Lynchburg. Mason’s Hall, which was Lynchburg’s first public building, served as a courthouse and church for the newly formed town. The town paid $67.00 dollars a year for the use of the building, which served an important function for this up and coming town.

---

This information is provided thanks to a partnership
with the Center for the History and Culture of
Central Virginia at Lynchburg College.