Warrenton's former jail is a remarkable example of the State's early county penal architecture. The complex includes the 1808 brick jail, converted to the jailer's residence and completed in 1823, and the parallel 1823 stone jail with its high-walled jail-yard. Located next to the courthouse, the jail provides a telling picture of conditions endured by inmates of such county facilities. A jail was built for the county in 1779, but it proved to be inadequate within a number of years. The more substantial brick building was finished in 1808, and on October 24, the keys to the new jail were turned over to the sheriff. With the completion of the stone jail and its plank-lined cells, the resulting two-part building served the county until 1966. The complex is now maintained by the Fauquier County Historical Society as a county history museum. The Old Fauquier County Jail is located at the Fauquier County Courthouse Square in Warrenton. It is open Sunday-Monday (Tuesday closed) Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm year round except for major holidays. Call 540-347-5525 for further information. |
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