Warrenton, Virginia

Episode 15 / 26 April 2017 / 65 min / full

An Heiress & A Brutal Murder

"James says they are heading to the town of Warrenton, Virginia, in Fauquier County in the northern part of the state, about an hour outside Washington, D.C." about 0:04:02

The case: Murder of Roberto Viegas (September 7, 1997). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2017

Population

9,897

Median age

41

Median home value

$365,000

Two-bedroom rent

$1,200 a month

Cost of living

134

Violent crime

▼ half the national average

Property crime

about the average level

History, in brief

• Warrenton began as a crossroads with nothing there in the 1700s; eventually a trading post known as the Red Store opened. about 0:06:25
• People began settling the area around the Revolutionary War, from about 1776 through the 1780s. about 0:06:53
• In 1790 the courthouse was built, which is when the town really became established. about 0:07:11
• A military academy opened after the Revolutionary War, named after war hero General Joseph Warren, which is where the name Warrenton comes from. about 0:07:39
• Richard Henry Lee was a wealthy landowner here and donated land for the county seat. about 0:07:53
• In 1810 the town of Warrenton was incorporated. about 0:07:56
• William 'Extra Billy' Smith, the inventor of the coffee percolator, was from Warrenton and was elected governor of Virginia twice. about 0:08:31
• In 1850 the railroad came through, bringing businesses, churches, two schools and a newspaper. about 0:09:04
• In 1860 there were 604 people living in Warrenton. about 0:09:39
• Warrenton was described in an article as 'one of the richest towns in the whole South', with rich farmland and wealthy buyers. about 0:10:00
• The Civil War tore the town apart, with battles all around it; hospital facilities and everything else were used for soldiers and crops were taken to feed people. about 0:10:29
• In 1880 a black man named Arthur Jordan eloped with his white employer's daughter, Alvira Corter; a group of men hunted the couple down in Maryland and brought him back to jail. about 0:10:54
• A group of hooded clansmen took Arthur Jordan from the jail and hanged him at the local cemetery; the case was covered as far away as Sydney, Australia. about 0:12:01
• In 1909 a large fire destroyed half the structures in town. about 0:12:33
• Old Town Warrenton, with its brick sidewalks, was recently named one of the prettiest painted places in America by the Paint Quality Institute. about 0:12:55

Open the episode file