The historic Old Bennett School in Manassas is more than a building — it is a defining civic landmark and an important part of Old Town’s shared heritage. Constructed in 1909, the school reflects our educational history, Civil War reconciliation story, and the evolving identity of this community.

As planning advances for the Prince William County Judicial Campus expansion, current design discussions appear to assume demolition of the Old Bennett School as part of future site configuration. At this stage, there has been limited public engagement specifically focused on preservation alternatives for this historic structure. Before irreversible decisions are embedded into design plans, the community deserves a transparent evaluation of options that would preserve and thoughtfully integrate the Old Bennett School into the future of the campus. Preservation is not opposition to progress.

Historic buildings, when adaptively reused, strengthen civic identity, support cultural tourism, and contribute to local economic vitality. Communities across Virginia have successfully incorporated historic structures into modern public facilities in ways that enhance both function and character. We respectfully urge Prince William County to:

• Conduct and publicly release a formal preservation alternatives analysis before any demolition decisions are finalized.

• Engage residents of Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County in a transparent and meaningful public process prior to advancing irreversible design assumptions.

• Fully evaluate integration of the Old Bennett School into the judicial campus through adaptive reuse, including community, educational, or interpretive functions — or reconsider the long-term location of the judicial campus if expansion cannot occur without demolition.

Please consider adding a comment and sharing your memories of the Old Bennett School.

 

 

Agricultural School, c. 1909 Photo: Virginia Historical Society (2004.82.6)

 

 

Agricultural School, c. 1909 Photo: Virginia Historical Society(2001.539.1)

 

 

Old Bennett School, 2011 Photo: Amy Bertsch

 

 

Image courtesy of Carole Harrover Potts, shared February 2026. The pin belonged to her mother, who participated in the citizen-led “Courthouse Crowd” effort to preserve the historic Prince William County Courthouse.

The “Courthouse Crowd”
In the late 1970s and 1980s, during a period of courthouse expansion and jurisdictional transition following the City of Manassas becoming independent (1975), demolition of the historic 1892–1893 Prince William County Courthouse was seriously considered as part of modernization discussions.

In response, a grassroots group of City of Manassas and Prince William County residents organized informally to advocate for preservation of the historic courthouse. They became known locally as the “Courthouse Crowd.”

The group included longtime residents, civic leaders, and preservation-minded citizens who attended public meetings, organized community support, and urged elected officials to retain and restore the original courthouse rather than replace it.

Their advocacy contributed to a preservation outcome in which the historic courthouse was retained as a civic landmark while newer judicial facilities were constructed nearby (including the 1982–1984 Prince William Judicial Center at 9311 Lee Avenue).

The survival of the Old Courthouse today is widely regarded as a successful example of citizen-led preservation during a period of rapid government expansion.