Circuit Court Alert:
Friday, July 25, 2025
Fairfax County Circuit Court Historic Records Center (HRC) has launched a new temporary exhibit. The exhibit will be on display through the end of August 2025. Normally only open for special events, HRC’s Document Viewing Room has been transformed to display the temporary exhibit The Backbone of the Court: The Clerk’s Office.
Through the lens of previous Clerks F. D. Richardson, F. W. Richardson, John Whalen, and Thomas P. Chapman Jr., visitors will see examples of life in the Clerk’s office and the duties performed there. Displayed historic documents, photographs, and artifacts span from 1800 to 1967. Along with historic documents such as the original handwritten Court Minute Book from the first court session held at our Historic Courthouse in 1800, some of the Clerk’s tools of the trade are available to be handled by those who visit this exhibit.
“This exhibit is the perfect blend of past and present” says Alexandra Campbell, Assistant Archivist of the Historic Records Center, “While the exhibit has artifacts that are 100 to over 200 years old, visitors can also learn about an office that they will most likely interact with at some point in their life whether they are getting married, purchasing property, documenting a will, or related to another department of the Circuit Court.”
This exhibition will be included as a part of the existing tours of the Historic Courthouse on Fridays at 3pm. However, all visitors are invited to come any time between 8am-4pm to see this exhibit at the Historic Records Center. The Historic Record Center is routinely used by individuals who conduct genealogy, historical, and property research.
Historic Courthouse
Historic Records Center, Suite 1600
4000 Chain Bridge Rd
Fairfax, VA 22030
For questions or media inquiries, please contact Rafael Arancibia at (703) 246-4111.