Debtors' Prison (Worsham, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
The Debtors' Prison is a historic debtors' prison building located in Worsham, Virginia
. Constructed in 1787, it is one of three such prisons, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
remaining in Virginia; the other two are in Accomac
and Tappahannock
. Of the three, only the one in Worsham was constructed of wood. It is the oldest surviving public building in Prince Edward County
, and dates to the time when Worsham was the county seat
.
Virginia abolished the imprisonment of debtors as a method of punishment in 1849; accordingly, at some point, possibly as early as 1820, the prison building was converted into a residence. Numerous alterations to the structure were carried out as part of the conversion, although many would be removed during twentieth century renovations.
Little is recorded about the history of the jail once it became a house, although it is known to have been owned for a time by a family called Burke. They deeded it to one E. L. Dupuy in 1908, and it remained with his family until being purchased by the Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) in 1950. They carried out renovations on the building in 1951.
After the Prince Edward Branch of Preservation Virginia dissolved in the 1970's, the building became property of Prince Edward County.
area above. The logs used to build the walls are square-hewn and closely fitted, without chink
ing. These are held together with half-dovetail
ed joins at the corners. Similar, heavy logs, set closely together, were used in the construction of the floor and ceiling. Those in the ceiling extend about a foot past the front and back walls, thus forming a slight roof overhang
. The roof is lighter, of frame
construction. The foundation of the building is low and made of sandstone
rubble
; a chimney
, made of brick
, is located on the interior end.
Entrance into the prison building is through a pair of doors located in the center of the front wall. The outer of the two might possibly be a replacement; the inner one, with vertical beaded boards and horizontal braces, appears to be a product of the eighteenth century. The door is flanked by two small square windows, both unglazed; the southern one is only a conjectural restoration, based on the surviving northern window. The remains of three vertical iron bars were found in this opening, and they have served as a pattern for some of the restoration work. There is a small opening in the back wall of the jail that appears to have been used as a latrine
slot.
Several additions to the jail were constructed upon its conversion to a private residence. Among these was a lean-to
appended to the back wall. In addition a larger window was cut for the front wall, and another opening was cut into the ceiling to provide entry into the attic. Most of these additions were removed during Preservation Virginia's restoration of the building in 1951. The roof, initially of tin
, was replaced by wooden shingles
. All of the beaded siding was removed save for that under the gable
s. The age of this siding is not known, although it is believed to have dated to before the American Civil War
, and might have been of eighteenth-century vintage. Further restorations were scheduled to have been carried out by Preservation Virginia later in the 1970s.
A more substantial prison building, made of stone, was erected just north of the old debtors' prison sometime around 1855. This structure had fallen in by the mid-1950s, when the walls were dismantled. A heavy iron door and a window grate from the newer building were saved at its demolition, and have since been erected just outside the old jail.
Worsham, Virginia
Worsham is an unincorporated community in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. It served as the county seat of Prince Edward County from 1754 to 1872, and as a result a number of historic public buildings may still be found there. Among these are the old debtor's prison and the old...
. Constructed in 1787, it is one of three such prisons, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
remaining in Virginia; the other two are in Accomac
Debtors' Prison (Accomac, Virginia)
The Debtors' Prison is a historic debtors' prison in Accomac, Virginia. Constructed in 1783 as a house for the Accomack County jailer, it is the oldest public structure in the county. It was converted to use as a debtors' prison in 1824, which purpose it served until 1849...
and Tappahannock
Debtors' Prison (Tappahannock, Virginia)
The Debtors' Prison in Tappahannock, Virginia, is a historic debtors' prison dating back to the 18th century. Constructed sometime before 1769, it is one of three such structures remaining in Virginia, along with those in Accomac and Worsham The prison building is part of the Tappahannock...
. Of the three, only the one in Worsham was constructed of wood. It is the oldest surviving public building in Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Prince Edward County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,368. Its county seat is Farmville.-Formation and County Seats:...
, and dates to the time when Worsham was the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
.
History
Worsham served as the county seat of Prince Edward County between 1754 and 1872; the debtors' prison was built there in 1787 to provide delinquents with separate quarters from other prisoners. Construction of the "gaol for debtors" was actually authorized in 1786; two local men, Thomas Scott and Charles Allen, were directed to allow bids. One Richard Bibb appears to have been hired to build the prison, as he was paid fifty-two pounds for its construction once the completed structure was viewed and received.Virginia abolished the imprisonment of debtors as a method of punishment in 1849; accordingly, at some point, possibly as early as 1820, the prison building was converted into a residence. Numerous alterations to the structure were carried out as part of the conversion, although many would be removed during twentieth century renovations.
Little is recorded about the history of the jail once it became a house, although it is known to have been owned for a time by a family called Burke. They deeded it to one E. L. Dupuy in 1908, and it remained with his family until being purchased by the Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) in 1950. They carried out renovations on the building in 1951.
After the Prince Edward Branch of Preservation Virginia dissolved in the 1970's, the building became property of Prince Edward County.
Design
The Worsham Debtors' Prison is a small log structure measuring 14' by 18'; it has been described as having "the solid appearance of a building constructed with security in mind". It consists of a single room, with an unused atticAttic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
area above. The logs used to build the walls are square-hewn and closely fitted, without chink
Chink (disambiguation)
Chink may refer to:*Chinese handball, a form of American handball.*Chink , an pejorative term for persons of Chinese descent.*Chinks, a half-length type of chaps, leather coverings for the legs, derived from chingadero....
ing. These are held together with half-dovetail
Dovetail
Dovetail may refer to:* The dovetail joint used in woodworking* The dovetail or "riffle" method of shuffling playing cards* German equatorial mount, or dovetail plate, used to fix a telescope to its mount...
ed joins at the corners. Similar, heavy logs, set closely together, were used in the construction of the floor and ceiling. Those in the ceiling extend about a foot past the front and back walls, thus forming a slight roof overhang
Overhang
Overhang may refer to:* Debt overhang, a fiscal situation of a government* Market overhang, a concept in marketing* Monetary overhang, a phenomenon where people have money holdings due to the lack of ability to spend them...
. The roof is lighter, of frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
construction. The foundation of the building is low and made of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
; a chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
, made of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, is located on the interior end.
Entrance into the prison building is through a pair of doors located in the center of the front wall. The outer of the two might possibly be a replacement; the inner one, with vertical beaded boards and horizontal braces, appears to be a product of the eighteenth century. The door is flanked by two small square windows, both unglazed; the southern one is only a conjectural restoration, based on the surviving northern window. The remains of three vertical iron bars were found in this opening, and they have served as a pattern for some of the restoration work. There is a small opening in the back wall of the jail that appears to have been used as a latrine
Latrine
A latrine is a communal facility containing one or more commonly many toilets which may be simple pit toilets or in the case of the United States Armed Forces any toilet including modern flush toilets...
slot.
Several additions to the jail were constructed upon its conversion to a private residence. Among these was a lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
appended to the back wall. In addition a larger window was cut for the front wall, and another opening was cut into the ceiling to provide entry into the attic. Most of these additions were removed during Preservation Virginia's restoration of the building in 1951. The roof, initially of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, was replaced by wooden shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
. All of the beaded siding was removed save for that under the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s. The age of this siding is not known, although it is believed to have dated to before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and might have been of eighteenth-century vintage. Further restorations were scheduled to have been carried out by Preservation Virginia later in the 1970s.
A more substantial prison building, made of stone, was erected just north of the old debtors' prison sometime around 1855. This structure had fallen in by the mid-1950s, when the walls were dismantled. A heavy iron door and a window grate from the newer building were saved at its demolition, and have since been erected just outside the old jail.