Editing Orange, Virginia (section)

===Pre-Civil War===
The present-day Town of Orange was known as the Town of Orange Court House prior to the late 19th century. Following the establishment of [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper County]] from a part of Orange County in 1749, the courthouse was relocated to Orange Court House from elsewhere in the county. The court convened in the house of a man named Timothy Crosthwait until 1752; after Crosthwait deeded the two acres to the county, a new courthouse was constructed on the property. The town at that time consisted of the courthouse and its related public buildings, a few houses and stores, a tavern and little else. The first [[United States Postal Service|U.S. Post Office]] was constructed in the town in 1796. From 1801 to 1804, the courthouse was replaced with a new building, clerk's office and, later, a new jail.<ref name=":4">"Orange Commercial Historic District." National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. June 1998. Form prepared by Debra McClane of Gray & Pape, Inc. Retrieved August 19, 2013. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Orange/275-5001_Orange_Commercial_Historic_District_1999_Final_Nomination.pdf</ref>

In 1799, Paul Verdier purchased the property of William Bell, an 18th-century farm that included much of the modern-day Town of Orange adjacent to Main Street, near present-day Bellevue and Peliso avenues. Verdier divided the land into lots, which helped shape the town's pattern of development. His house, which he named ''Montpeliso'', still stands on the land. Growth continued into the 19th century as new roadways were constructed through the town. Along with expanding agricultural markets, the roads helped transform Orange Court House into a regional center. In 1834, the [[Virginia General Assembly]] passed an act allowing the incorporation of the Town of Orange Court House, but the act did not have implementing legislation.<ref name=":4"/><ref name="Walker, Frank S. 2004" /><ref name="Miller, Ann L. 1988" />

Orange Court House continued growing, with several significant downtown buildings being constructed from this point up to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], including the Sparks Building (1829) the [[Holladay House]] (1830), and the St. Thomas Episcopal Church (1833). These buildings still stand as part of the [[Orange Commercial Historic District]].<ref name=":4"/> In 1847, the [[Orange and Alexandria Railroad]] chose to route their new railway from [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] to [[Gordonsville, Virginia|Gordonsville]] through Orange. The county court granted the railroad right-of-way through the courthouse property, which required the courthouse to be moved to another location.<ref name=":4" />

The fourth and current courthouse was completed in 1859 in the Italian Villa architectural style and stands today on the corner of Madison Road and Main Street. It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1979. The General Assembly passed an act in 1855 which officially incorporated the Town of Orange Court House, but it did not take effect until a majority of citizens qualified to vote consented, which did not occur until after the Civil War.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1">Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia: Passed in 1855–56, in the Eightieth Year of the Commonwealth. Chapter 256, pages 175-176. Printed by William Ritchie in 1856. Digitized November 30, 2007, by the University of Virginia. Retrieved August 19, 2013.</ref>

Orange was a strategically important location during the American Civil War. Just north of town, the [[Rapidan River]] was effectively the northern border of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] from March 1862 to May 1864. Consequently, the area witnessed countless troop movements, patrols, skirmishes, and encampments. In addition, the Town of Orange served as General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s headquarters during that time. General Lee worshipped at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. This church is also significant as it served as a hospital for Confederate wounded after the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]] and the [[Battle of the Wilderness]]. Lee passed by this church many times during his stay in Orange. [[Mort Künstler]], an artist of American historical subjects, immortalized this scene in his painting ''Soldier of Faith.''<ref name="Walker, Frank S. 2004">Walker, Frank S.: "Remembering: A History of Orange County, Virginia." Orange County Historical Society, 2004.</ref><ref name="Miller, Ann L. 1988">Miller, Ann L.: "Antebellum Orange." Moss Publications, 1988.</ref> County records dating back to its founding in 1734 were protected by a clerk of court removing them to "a place of safety" as Federal troops were moving through Orange and towards Richmond.