Debtor's Prison Interior Chimney
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The Debtor’s Prison at Worsham, Prince Edward County, Virginia is the oldest public building in the county, built 1787 and used until circa 1824. The tiny community of Worsham at one time was the county seat of Prince Edward County (1754-1872). Debtors were usually separated from criminals and generally served short terms. In the 19th century the jail was converted into a residence with a lean-to at the rear, a large window in the front wall, and an access opening to the attic. Restoration of the jail began in 1951 by the APVA (Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities).
The log structure is one room, 14x18 feet, with unused attic space. The walls use square hewn logs, fitted tightly without any chinking, secured with corner half dovetailed joints. The ceiling and floor are also made of squared logs closely set. The chimney is an interior-end type and constructed of bricks, quite substantial in size on the inside. Entrance is through two doors, the inner one of beaded boards and horizontal braces most likely from the 18th century. The windows, covered with rusty bars and open to the elements, were originally unglazed. At the back of the room is a small opening in the wall, probably a latrine slot. During restoration the tin roof was replaced by shingles, in keeping with architecture from this time period.
It was listed by the Virginia Department of Historical Resources in 1972 (ID # 073-0007) and added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in September of that year. The NRHP ID—#72001412
Major source of information is the NRHP nomination form at the VDHR website www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/PrinceEdward/073-...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Debtor's Prison Interior Chimney
This is a creative commons image, which you may freely use by linking to this page. Please respect the photographer and his work.
The Debtor’s Prison at Worsham, Prince Edward County, Virginia is the oldest public building in the county, built 1787 and used until circa 1824. The tiny community of Worsham at one time was the county seat of Prince Edward County (1754-1872). Debtors were usually separated from criminals and generally served short terms. In the 19th century the jail was converted into a residence with a lean-to at the rear, a large window in the front wall, and an access opening to the attic. Restoration of the jail began in 1951 by the APVA (Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities).
The log structure is one room, 14x18 feet, with unused attic space. The walls use square hewn logs, fitted tightly without any chinking, secured with corner half dovetailed joints. The ceiling and floor are also made of squared logs closely set. The chimney is an interior-end type and constructed of bricks, quite substantial in size on the inside. Entrance is through two doors, the inner one of beaded boards and horizontal braces most likely from the 18th century. The windows, covered with rusty bars and open to the elements, were originally unglazed. At the back of the room is a small opening in the wall, probably a latrine slot. During restoration the tin roof was replaced by shingles, in keeping with architecture from this time period.
It was listed by the Virginia Department of Historical Resources in 1972 (ID # 073-0007) and added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in September of that year. The NRHP ID—#72001412
Major source of information is the NRHP nomination form at the VDHR website www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/PrinceEdward/073-...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License