Spotsylvania Jail
N 38° 12.046 W 077° 35.339
18S E 273296 N 4231259
The old jail of 1855 still stands near the sheriff's office and courthouse in Spotsylvania Court House, VA.
Waymark Code: WMBEWQ
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 05/12/2011
Views: 5
When the old courthouse burned down in 1837, a new one was built on land that was donated by tavern owner Lewis Rawlings closer to the heart of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The jail was also relocated closer to the new courthouse. The jailhouse subsequently burned down in 1853 and was rebuilt in 1855.
The jail was built with 2'-thick brick walls and the cells were lined with oak planks. The front door was an iron gate to allow air flow in warm weather. There was also a stockade door that could be closed when necessary. Iron bars were on the windows. When its construction was completed at a cost of $3000, it was hailed as a "a top notch public facility".
During the Civil War, the courthouse and jail yard were used to hold Union prisoners from the battle at nearby Chancellorsville in 1863.
It housed prisoners for almost 90 years before it was leased out in 1943 and was used for county offices and storage. The original iron bars on the windows were removed for use in war materials.
In 1998, the Spotsylvania Preservation Foundation, Inc. took over the jailhouse and restored it. It duplicated and replaced the bars on the windows and the exterior brick walls were stuccoed. Modern lighting was installed for use as a museum, but the jail is only open on certain occasions. However, a peek through the windows shows the old iron cell doors and old graffiti is still on the walls.
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