Author: George E. Allen, III
I recently had the privilege of participating in the dedication ceremony at Lunenburg County Courthouse for the historic restoration of two law offices. These small buildings, dating back to the 1800’s, stand on the Courthouse grounds. In 2010, the Lunenburg Historical Society approached Allen and Allen about support for the project. The timing of this request was ideal, because in 2010 the Allen firm was celebrating its 100th anniversary and the firm’s founder, George E. Allen, Sr., had begun his practice at the Courthouse in his native Lunenburg County in 1910. We felt this was the perfect opportunity to honor our founder.
Lunenburg Courthouse was built in 1827 and is one of the oldest standing county courthouses in Virginia. In the 1800’s, lawyers were allowed to build private office buildings on the Courthouse Square. In recent years, these law offices had fallen into a state of neglect and decline. The restoration has resulted in a remarkable transformation of the Courthouse law offices and the courthouse area. One restored office will become the Lunenburg Visitor’s Center for education about the many historic sites and events associated with the county. The other restored law office will be a museum housing the contents of the law office of a 19th century lawyer. Part of the restoration was the construction and replacement of trim and railing to match those on the face of the Courthouse.
The architects and contractors did a tremendous job. The resulting restored law offices are a wonderful tribute to the history of Lunenburg Courthouse, the practice of law in Virginia, and to my grandfather, George E. Allen, Sr., the founder of the Allen Law Firm. A large crowd was in attendance at the dedication last May for the Sunday afternoon ceremony. The Courthouse Square was decorated with red, white, and blue for the celebration, and the festive atmosphere was contagious.
The restored buildings will house a museum time line which honors George E. Allen by summarizing his life and law practice. The time line covers his family background in Lunenburg County, his law training and 20 year practice in Lunenburg County before moving to Richmond, his public service as Mayor of Victoria and State Senator of the 28th Senatorial District, and a summary of the many honors he received in his distinguished career as a lawyer.
My family and my law firm are delighted to have been involved in this wonderful project and to preserve the memory of our founder in this way. My grandfather died in 1972, one year before I started practice at Allen and Allen, but I had the good fortune to know this extraordinary man personally. In my congratulatory remarks to those who organized and executed the restoration, I offered the thanks of the Allen law firm in allowing us to honor George E. Allen, Sr., through this project. I also reminded them of the pride in and love of the people of his native Lunenburg County that George E. Allen, Sr., maintained throughout his life.
Our founder’s distinguished career of over 60 years as a lawyer and his lifelong commitment to justice continues to be an inspiration to all of us at the Allen law firm. His values of hard work, integrity, fairness, love of family, and helping others through the law remain the core values of the Allen law firm today.
About the Author: Ted Allen is a personal injury attorney in Richmond VA. With a career spanning 30 years, he has helped victims of defective products, car accidents, truck accidents and brain injury in the Richmond area and through out the state of Virginia. Ted is the grandson of the firm’s founder George E. Allen, Sr.
