Rockingham County Courthouse

The Rockingham County Courthouse is a three-story red brick structure with a distinctive polygonal cupola topped by Spanish red tile roofing. The building stands as a solid presence on the local streetscape, its classical proportions and careful detailing visible throughout.

The first court session took place at Eagle Falls on the Dan River in 1786, with operations relocating to Wentworth as the county seat in 1798. A destructive fire in 1906 required the construction of the current building in 1907 by architect Frank Pierce Milburn.

The building's Classical Revival style, with its symmetrical facade and prominent cupola, embodied the formal dignity expected of public institutions in the early 1900s. Walking past it today, you can sense how this architecture was meant to convey the weight and permanence of justice itself.

The building is no longer the active courthouse, as operations relocated in 2011 to a newer Justice Center approximately one mile away. You can view the exterior and appreciate its architectural details from the street as a landmark of the town's judicial history.

After the original building was destroyed by fire in 1906, citizens from the nearby town of Reidsville made a push to relocate the county seat to their community. The effort ultimately failed, and the judicial center remained in Wentworth.

Location: Wentworth

GPS coordinates: 34.93750,-79.77390

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:26