Become part of history during Court and Trades Day Oct. 3 at Brentsville

Lawyers, guns and money will all be topics for examination during Court and Trades Day at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre on Oct. 3 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

People who visit the historic property that day will be able to see lawyers at work in a couple of trial recreations. One of the trials will be about a slave who was accused of stealing beef and pork. The second trial will focus on a chicken thief, said Bill Backus, a Prince William County Historic Interpreter. “In the 19th Century, Brentsville was the center of Prince William County and court days were a very active time period. So, we’re going to try and recreate that.”

Visitors might be asked to participate as they learn about the court proceedings of the 1800s, which differ greatly from today, Backus said. “Everyone’s going to be involved… any visitor that comes in … might be a jury member or the commonwealth attorney. So, it’s going to be a very hands-on activity.”

Brentsville was the Prince William County seat during the Civil War. In response to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859, the Prince William Cavalry, Company A, Virginia Cavalry, was formed on the courthouse lawn in January 1860. Other Confederate units from Prince William County, such as Ewell Guards Company A, 49th Virginia Infantry, organized and drilled there.

Reenactors will fill out the paperwork needed to sign up to fight in the Civil War. The reenactors will drill and fire their rifles in demonstrations behind the courthouse. Again, people will be able to play a part, Backus said. “If they’re adventurous, some of the children, or even adults, can try their hands in drilling for a little bit.”

Historic tradesmen, tradeswomen and musicians will demonstrate how people made money in the 1800s by showcasing their skills, Backus said. “We’ll have some historic trades people from Colonial Williamsburg portraying some of the trades that were being produced in town.”

The Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is located at 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow, VA 20136. Call 703-365-7895 for more information.