In 1833, Rappahannock County was created from part of Culpeper County and the town of Washington was selected to be the county seat. The courthouse and Court Clerk’s office were constructed by Malcolm F. Crawford of Albemarle County in 1833-1834 and the jail was built by John W. Fant of Shenandoah County in 1833-1836. The town was governed by a 7-member Board of Trustees. As the town prospered and grew in importance as the seat of government of Rappahannock County, new homes were constructed and businesses were established to serve the town and the county. Two schools were created in the town to provide private education in the years before the Commonwealth of Virginia instituted public education. The Washington Presbyterian church was built in 1856-1858, Trinity Episcopal church in 1857, Washington Baptist church in 1875, the African-American First Baptist church in 1881, and the Washington Methodist church in 1890. The "Blue Ridge Guide" newspaper served the town and the county from 1886 to 1936.