Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation is working to restore one of the county’s most overlooked historic homes — the Williams-Dawe House.
In a new episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast, host Uriah Kiser sits down with Paige Gibbons-Backus, Historic Site Manager at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Center, to talk about the home’s history, its many owners, and the extensive restoration work now underway.
Built in the 1820s, the Williams-Dawe House is believed to be the oldest surviving residence in Brentsville. Originally constructed for Jane Williams and her brother Philip Devereaux Dawe—both of whom were closely connected to the Prince William County courthouse system—the home sits directly across the street from the historic Brentsville Courthouse.
Although the house was once a stately structure known locally as the “White House,” years of vacancy and neglect left it overgrown and structurally damaged. In 2022, the county purchased the property to ensure its preservation and integration into the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Center.
Restoration efforts include roof repairs, chimney stabilization, and a full historic structures report to determine which parts of the house are original and which were added in later renovations, including a major restoration undertaken during World War II by the Webster family.
The Office of Historic Preservation hopes to eventually open the house to the public. In the meantime, residents can follow along, donate, or even share their own connections to Brentsville’s past.
Learn more about the project here:
Prince William County purchases the Williams-Dawe House, the oldest building in Brentsville
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