During the 1620s, Henrico court meetings were known as the Court of Upper Charles City. After the county was established in 1634, the gentlemen justices of Henrico held their monthly sessions either at the home of one of their members or at a local meeting place such as a tavern or church. By 1640, the Henrico Court was meeting in Varina, and in 1680 Varina, where the courthouse stood, was designated a town by the General Assembly. The first courthouse was a wood frame structure built on blocks and underwent major repairs in 1688. Sometime between 1688 and 1749, the next building was erected. Henrico courthouses remained at or near the same site just east of Dutch Gap until 1752, when the court moved to the new town of Richmond.