Judicial Center expansion puts a 117-year-old Manassas landmark at risk
2-Minute Brief
Topic: Old Bennett School and the Prince William Judicial Center expansion
Decision: The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 7-1 on July 21 to authorize additional design work for the Judicial Center expansion. The County’s current plan calls for Old Bennett School to be demolished while architectural elements and the school’s history are incorporated into the new complex.
Why it matters: Bennett School is connected to more than a century of Manassas history, including public education, Civil War soldiers’ graves and the integration of Prince William County schools. Although the school sits in Old Town Manassas, the property is controlled by Prince William County because of an unusual jurisdictional arrangement dating to Manassas becoming an independent city.
What Happened
Prince William County is moving forward with a $233 million expansion of the Judicial Center in Manassas.
The project includes a new building with 12 additional courtrooms and a new parking garage. Old Bennett School sits within the planned expansion area.
On July 21, supervisors voted 7-1 to approve a change order that includes approximately $315,000 in additional architectural work. The work is intended to preserve significant pieces of Bennett School and create a historical exhibit within the expanded Judicial Center.
Gainesville District Supervisor George Stewart cast the only opposing vote. He had the item removed from the Board’s consent agenda for separate discussion.
Prince William County estimates that restoring Bennett in its current location would cost approximately $46.9 million. County officials estimate relocating the building and constructing a new foundation would increase the total to approximately $56.25 million.
County officials have cited asbestos, lead, mold, water damage, termites and structural concerns in recommending against preservation of the entire building.
Residents and historic preservation groups are asking the County to reconsider demolition.
The Prince William County Historical Commission formally raised concerns and agreed in January to send a letter to the Board of County Supervisors recommending that Bennett not be demolished.
Preservation Virginia also placed Bennett School on its 2026 list of Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places.
Key Facts and Numbers
1908: Bennett School constructed
1909: School opened to students
2 acres: Land donated by Dr. Maitland C. Bennett
$16,000: Original construction cost
2 graves: Number cited in Prince William County’s current historical summary
12 to 15 graves: Reported in an original February 1911 Manassas Journal article recently located by local historians
15 to 20 graves: Reported in an original May 1914 Manassas Journal article recently located by local historians
1969: Old Bennett stopped operating as an elementary school
$233 million: Current Judicial Center expansion
12: Additional courtrooms planned
$46.9 million: County estimate to renovate Bennett in place
$56.25 million: Estimated cost cited for relocation and restoration
$315,141: Additional design work approved to incorporate architectural elements and memorialize the school
7-1: July 21 Board of County Supervisors vote
Why Bennett Is Historic
Old Bennett School was designed by prominent Virginia architect Charles M. Robinson.
Robinson designed numerous schools and public buildings throughout Virginia. A 2019 preservation study prepared for Prince William County described Bennett as an architecturally and historically significant Colonial Revival building.
Bennett was originally planned as one of Virginia’s new agricultural high schools. Manassas was selected for the Eighth Congressional District school and became the first location to construct one under the state program.
Because of local enrollment needs, however, Bennett ultimately opened primarily as an elementary school.
Civil War Graves
Historical records indicate that Civil War soldiers were buried on the Bennett School property.
Prince William County’s current historical summary states that two soldiers’ graves were discovered during excavation for Bennett School and left undisturbed.
However, local historians have recently located original Manassas Journal articles from 1911 and 1914 that report a substantially larger number of graves.
A February 1911 Manassas Journal article refers to approximately 12 to 15 graves.
A May 1914 Manassas Journal article refers to approximately 15 to 20 graves.
The reason for the discrepancy between those early Manassas Journal accounts and the County’s current historical summary is not yet clear.
Historical records also indicate that the burials were intentionally preserved and became part of the significance of Bennett School.
The discrepancy has taken on new relevance as Prince William County conducts ground-penetrating radar and geotechnical analysis as planning for the Judicial Center expansion continues.
School Integration
Bennett also played a role during the integration of Prince William County Public Schools.
During the County’s “Freedom of Choice” period in the 1960s, Bennett was among the previously all-white schools attended by African American students as Prince William’s school system began desegregating.
That history is another reason preservation advocates argue that Bennett represents more than the building itself.
What’s Next
Demolition is not expected immediately.
County staff told supervisors that demolition of Bennett itself could take approximately a year once initiated, while the overall process could take roughly 30 months because of site work, studies and other requirements.
Residents can watch for:
Results of the ground-penetrating radar survey
Additional information about the number and location of Civil War graves
Future demolition contracts or funding actions
Any preservation alternatives presented to the Board
Additional action by the Prince William County Historical Commission
Discussions between Prince William County and the City of Manassas
Read More: Why Does Prince William County Control Land Inside Manassas?
The answer dates back to 1975, when the Town of Manassas became an independent city.
At the time, Prince William County’s courts, jail, police facilities and other government offices were located within what became the City of Manassas.
Manassas wanted the County courthouse to remain because of what court records later described as its economic and symbolic importance to the City.
Officials looked to nearby Fairfax as a model. Fairfax City had created a jurisdictional area surrounded by the city but controlled by Fairfax County, commonly described as a “doughnut hole.”
Manassas and Prince William agreed that the City would pursue the legal steps necessary to remove the courthouse complex from City jurisdiction and place it under Prince William County jurisdiction.
The agreement also provided that the property would return to the City if the Prince William County Courthouse were relocated.
But the jurisdictional process was not immediately completed.
The Dispute Returns
The unresolved arrangement became important again around 1990, when Prince William County sought to expand its jail and Judicial Center.
A legal dispute followed between the City and County over control of the courthouse property.
The case eventually reached the Supreme Court of Virginia.
In City of Manassas v. Board of County Supervisors of Prince William County, decided June 9, 1995, the Court determined that Manassas had not yet completed the legal process necessary to surrender jurisdiction.
However, the Court also concluded that the City was bound by its earlier agreement and could be required to take the necessary steps to transfer jurisdiction to Prince William County.
That history explains the unusual situation today:
Bennett School sits in Old Town Manassas and is closely connected to Manassas history, but the courthouse property is under Prince William County jurisdiction.
As a result, the City of Manassas does not have the same direct authority over Bennett that residents might expect from looking at a map.
This Is Not the First Preservation Dispute
The courthouse complex has been the subject of preservation debates before.
During expansion of the Judicial Center in the 1980s, Prince William County sought to remove buildings around the courthouse.
At the time, historic district protections and the still-unresolved jurisdictional arrangement gave the City of Manassas a greater role in reviewing demolition proposals.
One of the buildings lost during that period was the former Osbourn School, later known as the Bennett Annex, which Prince William County records show was demolished in 1986.
The main Old Bennett School survived.
Nearly 40 years later, expansion of the Judicial Center has again placed the building’s future in question.
Read More: The Bennett School Historical Record
The history surrounding Bennett School is still being pieced together from County records, preservation studies and original local newspaper archives.
The newly located 1911 and 1914 Manassas Journal articles are important because they appear to describe substantially more Civil War graves than are referenced in the County’s current historical summary.
Those records may help answer several questions:
How many soldiers were actually buried on the property?
Where were the graves located?
Were all of the burials left undisturbed?
Why do later historical accounts refer to only two graves?
What role did the graves play in the decision to memorialize the site through Bennett School?
Local historians are continuing to review the original records.
Where Residents Can Learn More
Prince William County: Bennett School History
Official County history covering the school’s construction, the Civil War graves and later uses of the building.
Prince William County Historical Commission
Meeting records document the Commission’s concerns about demolition and its discussions with the Board of County Supervisors.
Prince William County Board of Supervisors
Board agendas and meeting materials provide the official record of Judicial Center expansion decisions.
Virginia Supreme Court: City of Manassas v. Board of County Supervisors of Prince William County
The 1995 decision explains the legal history behind the courthouse property and the unusual Prince William County enclave inside Manassas.
Preservation Virginia
Old Bennett School was included on the organization’s 2026 list of Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places.
Original Manassas Journal Archives
Local historians have recently located articles from February 1911 and May 1914 discussing Civil War graves associated with the Bennett School property. Those records are being reviewed as part of the continuing historical research.
Journal Note
The Manassas Journal reviewed Prince William County historical records, Historical Commission materials, Judicial Center planning information, preservation records and the Virginia Supreme Court decision involving the courthouse property.
Historical records differ on the number of Civil War graves associated with Bennett School.
Prince William County’s current historical summary refers to two soldiers’ graves. Original Manassas Journal articles from 1911 and 1914, recently located by local historians, report approximately 12 to 15 graves and 15 to 20 graves, respectively.
The reason for that discrepancy has not yet been established.
