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 as a Junior Preservationist
Our Junior Preservationists work with historic preservation staff and other volunteers doing many of the same work performed by adult volunteers. You can learn more about how historic sites are run, how artifacts are cared for, and maybe tackle a special project suitable to your age range. You can also assist with special events, summer camps, education programs, and the daily operations at Brentsville.
There are a lot of ways we can use your help! Year-round we can use help taking care of our nature trail and grounds, including flower beds and a vegetable garden.
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. If you are sixteen or older, site staff will help you learn Rippon's history to prepare your own guided tours of the historic site for regular hours or special events.
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.
For Junior Preservationists, volunteers 13 to 15 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian while volunteering. When applying, please let us know of any service hour requirements or accommodations you might need while volunteering.
