Court Days in Old Harrisonburg

Written by Dale MacAllister

 Harrisonburg is an orderly little town except on Court Day, which is apt to be as turbulent as Donnybrook Fair, being the occasion of horse trading, the meeting of people from all parts of Rockingham and often other counties, political discussions, and whiskey drinking! On such days, ladies cannot appear alone on the streets, and there are frequent disturbances, requiring the appointment of extra police.
¯  Orra Gray Langhorne (1841–1904)

 For Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Court Day was scheduled on the third Monday of every month when County Court began its monthly session. Court Days soon became an economic and social institution as people from throughout the county and beyond converged on Harrisonburg to conduct business, buy, sell, and barter goods, and socialize with the general citizenry.

Court Day was the time to have marriages, births, deaths, and deeds recorded and conduct other legal business at the Court House. Since court was in session, anyone who could fit into the court room could witness the judicial process first hand. In warmer weather, many folk would congregate around open courthouse windows to eavesdrop on the legal proceedings playing out inside.

In the nineteenth century, many farmers came to town once a month or less to buy supplies, sell produce, or conduct other business. Travel was slow in those days, and many routes to the Court House involved fording streams and traversing primitive, mud-caked roads. Many farmers could ill afford the time a trip to Harrisonburg demanded more often than once a month.

The social aspect of Court Day found farmers talking about crops and prices, sharing the latest news, discussing politics, and visiting with acquaintances. State and local politicians took advantage of the readymade crowds and gave stump speeches on the Court House lawn. The women present on Court Days often swapped gossip, condemned the current fads, and observed the latest fashions on display in local stores. It gave those women who could afford to buy the most up-to-date fabrics a chance to purchase the latest material for a fashionable, new dress.

Written accounts of the time mention various foods sold on Court Days. These included Pendleton sugar, cakes, gingerbread, lemonade, cider, molasses beer, chestnuts, assorted fruits, and watermelons. Most vendors set up stands on Court Square. The lawn around the Court House was often cluttered by tables piled high with food, drink, and other goods for sale.

The free flow of alcohol must have caused a sizeable problem for the town sergeant, and extra men were often deputized to aid in rounding up those too drunk to make it home safely. It was fairly typical to require some of the men to dry out over night in the county jail. Court Day accounts in the newspaper frequently reported accidents between man and horse that were blamed on alcohol.

Over the years, Harrisonburg gained considerable fame as a major Virginia horse-market. Court Square and adjacent streets were crowded with horses being offered for trade or sale. It was not unusual for several hundred animals to be sold on a single market day. Most of the out-of-state buyers came from Pennsylvania and shipped their four-legged purchases home by rail. Water Street, because of its livery stables, became Harrisonburg’s focal point for the horse trade.

Circuit Court replaced County Court in 1904, yet the traditional Court Days in their time-honored role continued for another decade. The importance of Court Days as a business and social gathering was on the decline by 1915 when the growing proliferation of automobiles made travel to Harrisonburg an easier, more timely trip. As the twentieth century reached its midpoint, Court Days were but a romantic memory cherished by those who had experienced its many charms.