The Fairfax County CourthouseNetherton, Ross De Witt
History
The Fairfax County Courthouse
Netherton, Ross De Witt
Courthouses -- Virginia -- Fairfax County -- History; Law -- Virginia -- Fairfax County -- History
The last quarter of the nineteenth century saw the appearance and
disappearance of a number of public offices now only dimly remembered.
For example, the county office of commissioner of roads dated from
1831, but the constitution of 1869 created township overseers of roads
who, with the commissioner of roads, formed the county road board.
When the townships were abolished, the duties of these boards were
transferred to the commissioner of roads and road surveyor. By 1900
this highly decentralized system had resulted in enactment of several
hundred local road laws by the states and led to a confused situation
that was not cured until the state highway system and highway
department were established in 1919.[109]
From the time of the disestablishment of the Church of England, care
of the County's poor and orphans had been the responsibility of the
County's overseer of the poor. Public health measures to suppress
smallpox also were carried on by this officer. The constitution of
1869 created a superintendent of the poor for each county, elected by
popular vote, and the overseers of the poor became township officers.
With the abolition of the townships, the superintendent of the poor
also disappeared and the overseers became officers of the magisterial
districts.[110]
In the early days of the nineteenth century, the justices of the
County Court had been responsible for the County's militia. This
system was changed in 1833 when the militia were reorganized to form
divisions, brigades and regiments on a state-wide basis. Officers were
appointed by the governor on recommendation of the county court. This
system continued until the Civil War, and when the militia was
established after the war it was managed entirely from the state
level.[111]
In the changes that followed the shift of governing power to the board
of county supervisors, one of the chief losers was the county sheriff.
He ceased to have any control of elections or revenue matters, and his
other powers and prerogatives connected with administrative functions
of county government were lost to others. He became exclusively a
peace officer and custodian of the county jail, and these are the
duties of his office today.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account