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Date published: 7/3/2002
Commuters who pass through the intersection of Courthouse and Brock roads at Spotsylvania Courthouse can't help noticing the vacant old jail that sits on the corner of the courthouse lawn. On Saturdays throughout this summer, they actually will have a chance to tour this building. The Spotsylvania Preservation Foundation Inc. is conducting tours of the old jail each Saturday from noon until 2 p.m., through Aug. 31. The foundation also conducts private tours by special request. For those who wish souvenirs of their visit, matted prints and T-shirts in a variety of sizes are available for purchase. Visitors to the jail will get to see the two lower cells. These cells are slated to be restored to illustrate two different eras of the jails history. The original iron barred doors will be replaced in each cell. One of the cells features a diary of sorts and architectural drawings on the walls, provided by earlier inhabitants. The jail was built circa 1852 and was originally brick. The walls are 2 feet thick. Stucco was applied in the mid-1900s. At that time, the outer wall of the lower floor was built out to provide extra support to the building. In 1943, the jail was closed by order of Judge Leon M. Bazile on the recommendation and request of the State Commissioner of Corrections. It was felt that the building was outdated and a fire hazard. Prisoners were then housed in the jail in the City of Fredericksburg. The upper floor, not open to the public at this time, consists of two office rooms and a large front room. There currently are no inside stairs connecting the two floors. Restoration of the jail is SPFI's main focus at this time. It hopes to restore the structure to house a museum, which will be illustrative of prison life and the jail's role in the 1800s and 1900s in Spotsylvania County. Donna Chasen is a member of the Spotsylvania Preservation Foundation Inc. board of directors. SPFI's mission is to preserve and protect the historic and natural resources of Spotsylvania County through education, advocacy and community involvement. SPFI, a nonprofit and all-volunteer organization, was established in 1988 to help preserve and protect Spotsylvania County's natural and historic resources. To learn more about SPFI, e-mail mail@SPFI.org or write the foundation at Box 1875, Spotsylvania, Va. 22553.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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