Culpeper Historic District
Significant for its architectural cohesiveness

Originally known as Fairfax, Culpeper was founded in 1759. Most of the commercial buildings are vernacular, Italianate, and neoclassical-style brick structures.

The quiet, tree-shaded residential streets hold a rich variety of domestic architecture. The district's focal point is the Culpeper County Courthouse, completed in 1874 by Samuel Proctor who crowned it with a fanciful cupola.  Commercial history is linked with its early roads, stagecoach routes, and the railroad.  Military history is represented by the homes of Revolutionary War General Edward Stevens and Confederate Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill.

The town served as a staging area and hospital center for armies of both sides in the Civil War. Though a growing community, Culpeper preserves a genial, typically American small-town ambiance.

The assortment of shops, eateries and specialty stores in downtown Culpeper is as modern as the moment, but the character of the streetscape retains its history. Where once there were feed stores and harness shops that served the rural economy of an earlier time, are now locally owned purveyors of foods and fineries from around the world—as well as the harvest from local farms.

Because the town variously was occupied by the Unions army and served as staging area for the Confederate army, Culpeper’s story is forever linked to the Civil War. Still, any visitor, whatever their interests, will appreciate the remarkable adaptation of so many historic commercial buildings to serve contemporary uses.

The historic district is anchored by the Culpeper County Courthouse, a solidly classical structure topped by an almost whimsically tall clock tower crowned by a cupola. Since 1988, more than 320 residences and commercial buildings have been rehabilitated.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, Culpeper has been honored as a Virginia Main Street community and recognized nationally by an array of “Bests.” It’s a visitor friendly town with easy-to-access information from the local tourism office and a partnership called Culpeper Renaissance.