Wise County is named for Henry A. Wise, 33rd governor of Virginia (1856-1860) and a brigadier general on the Confederate side during the Civil War. Wise county was established in 1856 from portions of Russell, Lee and Scott Counties.
The current courthouse was constructed in 1896 and is in Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts styles by famed architect Frank P. Milburn. Milburn is responsible for other courthouses I have reviewed including Boyd County (Catlettsburg KY), Columbia County (Lake City FL), and Lowndes County (Valdosta GA) and the South Carolina State House. As a Charlottean, I'm aware that he designed the Mecklenburg County courthouse though it no longer stands. It replaces the 1856 courthouse that was destroyed during the Civil War. It features tan-colored brick twin towers, ornate masonry, and a clock tower.
An open well staircase with a classicized newel in the shape of a fluted column with an Ionic capital, an iron railing with applied anthemion ornamentation and whimsical scrolled embellishment, and open-work treads made of cast iron are all features of the interior's primary entrance hall. All around the hall is a wooden matchboard wainscot. The original pressed-tin ceiling in the hall is still there. The courtrooms are on the second floor.
There is plentiful street parking on weekends.
[Review 632 of 2025 - 1480 in Virginia - 24193 overall] read more
