PORTRAITS IN THE OLD COURTHOUSE

James Roberdeau Allison, (1864–1927), was born in Orange County, Virginia, grew up in Centreville and taught school in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. He served the county as deputy treasurer, deputy sheriff and then was elected sheriff in 1904. Consistently re-elected, he was sheriff until his death.

Paul E. Brown, (1904–1968), was born in Oklahoma, and moved to Fairfax County with his family in 1919. He served as commonwealth attorney for three terms and was appointed judge of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in 1944. He served as senior court judge from 1951 until his death.

Daniel McCarty Chichester, (1834–1897), was born in Fairfax County, served in the Confederate army and later taught school in Maryland and Tennessee. He practiced law and was for a short time superintendent of schools and a delegate to the state legislature. He was elected judge of Fairfax and Alexandria (Arlington) counties in 1886 and served until his death.

Bryan Fairfax, (1737–1802), was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia and grew up at Belvoir, in Fairfax County. He was a justice of the Fairfax County court and was ordained as an Episcopal minister, serving as rector of Fairfax Parish 1790–1792. He held the title of eighth Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron, from 1800 until his death.

Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron, (1693–1781) was born at Leeds Castle in Kent, England and immigrated to Fairfax County in 1747. In 1749, he was commissioned a justice of the peace in each county within the entire Northern Neck, of which he was proprietor. He was a trustee of the town of Alexandria and in 1754 became commandant of the frontier militia. He lived at Belvoir until 1761, when he moved to "Greenway Court," his estate in the Shenandoah Valley where he spent the remainder of his life.C. Vernon Ford, (1871–1922), was born in the town of Fairfax, and practiced law with his cousin, Joseph E. Willard. Ford was appointed commonwealth's attorney for Fairfax County in 1879 and, later elected, served in this capacity until his death.

William Edwin Graham, (1850–1916), was born in Fairfax County. He succeeded his father as clerk of the circuit court in 1887, serving until 1904, at which time he became deputy clerk under F. W. Richardson, serving in this position until his death.

George Johnston, (1700–1766), was a son of Dr. James Johnston, who settled in Maryland in the seventeenth century. He was a trustee of Alexandria and practiced law there and in Winchester. He represented Fairfax County in the House of Burgesses from 1758 until his death and was the author of certain resolutions presented by Patrick Henry in 1765, in opposition to the Stamp Act.

Walter Jones, (1776–1861), was born in Northumberland County, Virginia and practiced law in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Appointed U. S. attorney for the District of Columbia, 1804–1821, he practiced law before the U. S. Supreme Court and in Virginia and Maryland. He was one of the founders of the American Colonization Society. At the time of his death, he was Major-General of the militia of the District of Columbia.

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, (1837–1891), was born at "Arlington." He rose to the rank of Major-General of cavalry in the Confederate army. After the Civil War, he was elected a state senator and then a congressman. He died at "Ravensworth" in Fairfax County while serving his second term in congress.

George Mason, (1725–1792), the fourth of that name in the Virginia colony was born on Dogue's Neck, now Mason Neck, then in Stafford County, but now in Fairfax County. He was a justice of the county for most of his adult life, and a trustee of the town of Alexandria. He built his home, "Gunston Hall" in 1758. In 1774, he was the principal author of the Fairfax Resolves, and in 1776, the principal writer of the Virginia constitution and declaration of rights. The first ten amendments of the constitution were added, in part, because of his insistence on the necessity for a federal bill of rights.

Robert Walton Moore, (1859–1941), was born in the town of Fairfax, and practiced law in the county. He served as a state senator and as a congressman. In 1933 he was appointed an assistant secretary of state, and in 1937, he became counselor of the Department of State. Throughout his adult life he was a member of numerous boards and commissions including the boards of visitors of the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary.

Ferdinand Dawson Richardson, (—— –1880), entered the clerk's office in 1826 under William Moss, clerk, and served as an assistant clerk or deputy clerk until 1870, when he was appointed clerk of the court, which position he held until his death.

Frederick Wilmer Richardson, (1853–1936), was born in Fairfax, and was the son of F. D. Richardson. He was deputy clerk under his father for nine years, succeeding him in 1880. Elected to the new position of clerk of the Circuit Court in 1881, he served in that capacity until 1887, and again from 1904 to 1935.

Henry Wirt Thomas, (1812–1890), was born in Loudoun County, Virginia. He served as commonwealth's attorney in Fairfax and was elected to the state legislature for a number of terms between 1841 and 1875. Following the Civil War, he was appointed judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Virginia and later appointed lieutenant governor to fill out an unexpired term.

John Webb Tyler, (1795–1862), served Fairfax County as a judge in the circuit court of Virginia from 1850–1861. The circuit included Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the quarterly courts were held at the county seats, including Fairfax Court House.George Washington, (1732–1799), was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and moved to "Mount Vernon" in Fairfax County when he was sixteen. He became a surveyor, was elected a burgess, and appointed a justice of the Fairfax County court. During the American Revolution, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the united colonies. He was elected the first president of the United States of America under the new constitution in 1789, and again in 1793.

Joseph Edward Willard, (1865–1924), was born in Washington, D. C. He practiced law, and was lieutenant governor of Virginia, 1902–1906. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him minister to Spain in 1913; later he was elevated to ambassador to Spain. He owned the Willard Hotel in Washington, but lived part of his life in the town of Fairfax, at "Layton Hall."