What is Brentsville?
Established in 1820, Brentsville was the fourth county seat of Prince William County. It survived the Civil War and Reconstruction, but not the shift of the population to the new town of Manassas By 1820, many residents had moved farther west for better farm land and the old county seat (Dumfries) was too far east for the western residents to conveniently travel. Brentsville was centrally located in Prince William County, along the major east/west road (now 619), which led from the port of Dumfries to the Shenandoah Valley. Every type of county business occurred in this courthouse, civil and criminal cases alike, for the next 70 years. In 1893, the county seat moved to Manassas, which allowed Brentsville to retain much of its 19th century character.
The 28-acre Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre includes five historic buildings: 1822 courthouse, 1822 jail, 1880 church, 1850 farmhouse, and a one-room schoolhouse that served the young children of Brentsville from 1929 to 1944. The 1822 Williams-Dawe House is currently closed to the public as it undergoes preservation.
What You Can Do
Brentsville has a lot of space and a lot of history to talk about! There are several flower beds throughout the site and a representative vegetable garden at the 1850 Haislip-Hall House. Our garden volunteers can use a hand caring for plants, weeding, and watering. If you prefer things a little more wild, our nature trail always needs cleaning and clearing of trees that can get you closer to native or invasive plants for removal.
Becoming an interpretive guide is a very people-focused visitor opportunity! If you’re passionate about history and really like to share it with folks, this will be a rewarding position! Working with site staff, you will conduct guided tours of the historic site during special events or on regularly scheduled tour days. Guides can also help staff with activities like field trips, special tours, or other events throughout the year.
If you have any skills or interests you think would be a good fit for Brentsville that we didn’t mention, feel free to mention them when you apply! We’re happy to find something that suits your abilities and needs as best we can.
What to Expect After You Apply
Once your background check clears, you should expect an email from the division volunteer coordinator with a more detailed interests and availability form. Depending on the season and site needs, there may not be volunteer hours immediately available.
If you have any requirements for service hours or have any accommodation needs for volunteering, please let us know when you apply.
This listing is for adult volunteers only. If you are under the age of 18, please check out the Junior Preservationist listing here.
