Elliott DeJarnette: Culpeper lawyer stays put

By Allison Brophy Champion

Published: August 22, 2008

Town of Culpeper native Elliott DeJarnette looks all bundled up in a childhood photo with older brother Billy taken near the family home on West Edmondson Street.

Today, DeJarnette, 56, is an attorney who runs his own firm downtown. Considering that he’s been practicing law for 30 years on Main Street, he certainly is a familiar face.

DeJarnette grew up the fourth of six children at a time when Main Street wasn’t very busy and he was able, therefore, as a child to cross the street by himself to visit a friend on East Piedmont Street.

DeJarnette attended the old Ann Wingfield School on East Street with his brothers and sisters, and again, they walked.

A graduate of Culpeper County High School, the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, DeJarnette opened his first office in 1978 in the A.P. Hill building at Main and East Davis streets.

Soon after, he moved to 114 N. Main and that’s where he’s stayed. DeJarnette also still lives downtown.

“Culpeper is a lot bigger than it used to be,” he said, again mentioning the traffic.