In 1772, Woodstock became the county seat of Dunmore County (renamed Shenandoah County in 1777 during the Revolutionary War, shedding the name of the controversial last Royal governor of Virginia). Being named the county seat had significant impact for the development of the town. As a county seat, Woodstock necessitated the building of a courthouse and jail. By 1774, the county had erected a permanent courthouse. That original court house was replaced in 1795 with a limestone building designed by Thomas Jefferson, using native limestone. It was enlarged in 1871 and 1886. The Shenandoah County Courthouse, located on Main Street, is the oldest courthouse still in use west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.