Volunteer Opportunities at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre

Volunteering with Prince William County's Office of Historic Preservation is an opportunity to follow a passion for history while helping out in your community!

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is located at the old county seat in the historic community of Brentsville, located south of Manasssas in modern-day Bristow, Virginia. Founded in 1820, Brentsville is a window into life during the last two-hundred years as the county has largely transformed from a rural to suburban community. It preserves the 1822 courthouse and jail, an 1850s log house, 1871 Union Chruch, and a 1928 one-room schoolhouse. There are many different positions for volunteers available at Brentsville that might appeal to your interests.

Staff at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre also manage Lucasville School, a reconstruction of an African-American one-room school used from 1885 to 1926. It is preserved so visitors may discover the people who once learned and taught in this small but significant building, reminding us of local efforts to challenge racism and create an effective and lasting public education system. Lucasville is currently open only for special events.

Interpretive Guide

A visitor experience focused opportunity, interpretive guides are a rewarding position for someone passionate about history! Working with site staff, you will conduct guided tours of the historic area during special events or regularly scheduled tour days. This requires knowledge of Brentsvilles stories, or a desire to learn them, and being comfortable with public speaking so you can engage visitors in discussion and answer their questions. Guides can also help staff with activities for field trips throughout the year.

Materials to get started will be provided, and special trainings are conducted throughout the year. Staff will also provide feedback to help develop public speaking and historical interpretation techniques.

Events Assistant

In this position, you assist with special events by providing visitor information services, assist site staff with activities, and event set-up and cleanup. These tasks may include physical labor, administrative assistance, and working with the public. Volunteers must follow directions from staff to help make our events a success. Special events assistants will be needed weekends and evenings throughout the year. They will also have the opportunity to help with public programs through living history and special tours.

Gardener

Gardeners help to maintain the interpretive family garden on site, as well as site landscaping and beautification by weeding, planting, and caring for flower beds around the historic structures. A great opportunity if you like to work with plants, or outdoors in general. Gardeners assist with periodic site clean-up days.

Group and Service Projects

While everyday maintenance work is done by Parks & Recreation staff, trail maintenance and improvement, plus viewshed restoration and site beautification, are often undertaken by volunteers. If your group is seeking a service project outdoors, contact us for more information!

Junior Preservationists (13-18)

Interested in volunteering at Brentsville? Are you between the ages of 13 and 18?Click this link to our Junior Preservationist programand specify Brentsville when you respond!