Just east of here, Needham was the location of Virginia's first proprietary law school and the home of its founder, Judge Creed Taylor (1766 - 1836), a politician, jurist, and legal educator. Taylor's law school at Needham opened in 1821 and closed by 1840; it was Virginia's second law school and among the earliest in the United States. He trained more than 300 men for the law, including President John Tyler, Jr., several congressmen, and other prominent officials. Taylor was one of the first to use the moot court as a primary system of instruction. He is buried south of Needham in an unmarked grave.
