The City of Fredericksburg announces the completion of restoration work on the historic Renwick Complex, a significant milestone in the preservation of one of the City’s most important civic landmarks.
Located at 815 Princess Anne Street, the Renwick Courthouse was designed by noted architect James Renwick Jr. in the French Gothic style and completed in 1852. Renwick later designed the Smithsonian Institution Building (“The Castle”) in Washington, D.C., and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. The structure’s bell tower houses a 600-pound bronze bell cast at the Paul Revere Foundry in Boston. One of only 134 surviving Revere Foundry bells, it is the only known Paul Revere bell in Virginia. The building formerly served as Fredericksburg’s courthouse and is currently being evaluated for future uses.
The Renwick Complex Working Group was established by Fredericksburg City Council on June 13, 2023, to provide recommendations for the future of the property. As the City continues to explore adaptive reuse options, staff have advanced critical maintenance and repair work to protect and stabilize the building.
Restoration work on the Renwick Bell Tower began in mid-May 2025. WxTite, LLC of Greensboro, North Carolina, was selected through a competitive solicitation process to complete the work, which included interior structural framing repairs, masonry repointing, stucco and architectural stone repairs. Throughout the project the contractor took special care to match historic brick, mortar and stucco materials and to protect the historic Paul Revere bell housed within the tower.
Repair work on the Renwick Courthouse Bell Tower is now 100% complete. Emergency repairs on the southwest chimney extended the work into November after it was discovered that it was at risk of collapse. The chimney is once again stable, and plaster that had to be removed to accommodate the repair has now been fully restored. The Bell Tower is now stable and protected from water infiltration as the City prepares to pursue adaptive reuse of the complex. Some areas where cracks in the stucco have been repaired may be visible to viewers. The materials used for repair are historically appropriate and colors are expected to blend as the materials begin to weather over time. The project was completed within agreed timeline and allocated budget.
The completion of this work reflects the City of Fredericksburg’s continued commitment to preserving its historic assets while planning thoughtfully for their future use. For more information, please contact Public Works at 540-372-1023 or visit https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/1930/Historic-Renwick-Complex.