[Ntwadumela]

Built: 1910

Closed: 2001

Opened: 1916

Demolished / Renovated: n/a

Location Age: 102 years

Abandonment: 11 years

Current Status: Being demolished or renovated

Location Genre: State / Federal Penitentiary

Located In: Lorton, VA United States of America

Alternate Names: Lorton Federal Prison, Occoquan Facility


Story:


In 1908, rumors of deplorable conditions at the District of Columbia's jail and workhouse in Washington sparked a special investigation by president Theodore Roosevelt. A special Penal Commission was appointed and after review, recommended a complete change in the treatment of D.C. prisoners. The federal government responded in 1910 by purchasing a 1,155 acre tract of land in Lorton Virginia, where a new kind of workhouse was to be constructed. The Lorton Reformatory featured symmetrical brick buildings in Classical architecture, laid out as dormitories rather than cell blocks. The open-air designs let in sunlight and fresh air, and the number of walls and watch towers were kept to a minimum.

The Lorton prison complex, situated on Laurel Hill, consisted of seven separate facilities. The Workhouse, also known as the Occoquan Facility, operated as an agricultural work camp, complete with a poultry farm, hog ranch, slaughterhouse, dairy, blacksmith, sawmill and other structures. Inmates worked on farming the land, as well as producing brick and manhole covers, re-treading tires, and knitting sweaters. A medium security facility was located on site, but was demolished in 1998 - it most notably held 168 women from the pickets of the women's suffrage movement in 1917. The central Lorton Reformatory, built in 1920, was used to house more serious offenders, constructed with brick made by prisoners at the Occoquan Facility. Adjacent to this complex is the maximum security facility, the only area surrounded by walls. The Lorton site also included a minimum security facility (which also housed Nike missile site W-64), and a youth correction center.

Lorton's maximum security complex was known as "The Hill" by many, and had a reputation of being quite strict. The walled-in cell blocks had a capacity of 2,066 inmates, and was the last Lorton complex to close in November 2001. Fairfax County received the title to the property, and plans for mixed-use development are currently underway.

[Space Particle]

Wow, by going to that certain prison you could certainly learn many useful skills. ( not that I want to)

[kellyhound]

luv the spiral staircase pic

[SSCARZZ]

It can be make into a homeless shelter.

[BlueNosePit]

i live bout 5 min away from that prison. they turned it in to some kinda art center. not exactly sure what kinda art center but thats what they say it now is.

ive never actually seen inside pics though. very cool.

[Oswald2001]

If the walls could speak...the stories they could tell...

[Sharon]

Some great images there

[petedeamon]

Deplorable my butt. The prison system doesn't need "The Best" for prisoners, they should make their world something inmates would not want to go back to. No TV, internet, radio, or companionship. Let them think about what they did and how much they want to do the right thing instead of living like an animal. Crime would go way, way down

[K9Grip]

Never-mind art, it should be re-opened, as is and let the criminals live like criminals instead of ordinary citizens.

The pics are great though, I had driven by many times while living up there in the late 90's.

[Gutmutilator]

when they don´t restore it,it´s going to looks like Pripyat (Chernobyl,Ukraine)