Smithfield served as the county seat from 1752 to 1801. The Old Isle of Wight Courthouse was built in 1752 by William Rand and is one of Virginia's few surviving colonial structures, notable for its semicircular apse with a conical roof reflecting the Colonial Capitol in Williamsburg. Converted into a residence in 1812, it was acquired by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities in 1938 and restored to its original appearance. A nearby house was converted into a tavern for the courthouse village by Rand around 1756; modified and enlarged over the years, it is now known as the Smithfield Inn.