The historic Caroline County Courthouse Campus in Bowling Green is the heart of the Loving v. Virginia story and one of Virginia’s most significant civil rights locations. This collection of historic buildings – set along North Main Street – preserves the places where Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested, tried and briefly jailed before their struggle for justice reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
At 123 North Main Street, the historic Caroline County Courthouse remains an active courtroom and one of the state’s oldest judicial buildings. On January 6, 1959, this was the site of the Lovings’ guilty plea to violating the Racial Integrity Act, the law banning interracial marriage in Virginia. Judge Leon M. Bazile issued a suspended one-year jail sentence on the condition that the couple leave Virginia for 25 years. His ruling, grounded in segregationist beliefs, fueled the legal fight that would ultimately overturn similar laws nationwide. Because the courtroom is in daily use, interior access is limited, but plans for a virtual viewing option are underway.
Next door at 121 North Main Street sits the former office of Sheriff R. Garnett Brooks, now part of the Sidney E. King Arts Center. Sheriff Brooks was the arresting officer in the Loving case, and this building once served as a center of law enforcement during one of America’s most defining civil rights moments. Today, the building has been repurposed into an arts and cultural space open on select days or by appointment, offering an opportunity to reflect on local history and the individuals connected to the case.
The third site on the campus is the historic Old Jail of Caroline County, located at 119 North Main Street. Though not open for interior tours due to restoration needs, the building’s exterior remains a powerful landmark. It was here that Richard and Mildred Loving were held following their arrest on July 11, 1958. Richard was released the following day, while Mildred remained jailed until July 14. Standing outside the original structure offers visitors a compelling connection to the realities the couple faced.
Together, these three buildings form a compact but deeply meaningful campus that illustrates the beginning of a legal fight that reshaped the meaning of marriage and equality in the United States. The courthouse campus is accessible for exterior viewing 24 hours a day, offering visitors a respectful and contemplative place to understand the roots of Loving v. Virginia.
