Historic Brentsville Jail (ca. 1822)
Stabilization and Restoration 

Brentsville Jail Designations

National Register of Historic Places

Virginia Historical Landmark

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom

In 1820, the Town of Brentsville was created by the Virginia General Assembly to serve as the new County seat for Prince William County. Part of moving the County seat from Dumfries to Brentsville involved building several public buildings for the function of local governing. One of these buildings, the Jail, was built in 1822. The Jail would serve Prince William County for the next 71 years. When the County seat was moved to Manassas in 1893, the building served in many capacities. These included a dormitory for a girls’ school, a private home and an office space.

Referred to today as the “Brentsville Jail,” the building bears witness to the County’s rich history. As part of the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, the building and its surroundings will always be protected. Even with this preservation of space, the Jail is in dire straits. Years of termite, powder post beetle and water damage (just to name a few) have taken their toll the structure. In the 1990’s, local residents convinced the County to take a more active role in the preservation and restoration of the Jail. The building has become the focus of many local ghost stories and legends. The internationally famous “Ghost Hunters” TV Show featured the building on a show in 2009.

Currently, engineering plans are being drawn up by Commonwealth Architects on the stability of the structure. Through these plans, it will be better understood the magnitude of the deterioration of the building and what it will take to stabilize the structure. Once these plans are completed, the next step will be stabilization to keep the building from further deteriorating and make it safe for public access. The tentative long range plan is to historically restore the Jail to the 1820’s. Much like the Courthouse, the Jail will have restored spaces (such as jail cells and jailor living quarters) and museum exhibit space. It will be used for educational and interpretative programs. The Jail will be one of only a handful of jails that have been restored to the 1800s, and the only one in the Washington, D.C. Metro region. Currently, funds are not available for this final phase. The Prince William Historic Foundation is currently accepting donations to assist in the stabilization and restoration of the Jail. No final price tag has been determined, but it will be a substantial undertaking and expense to stabilize and restore this great historic resource for future generations.

Brentsville Jail Timeline

1820 - Town of Brentsville formed to serve as the new County seat for Prince William

County.

Winter 1821-1822 - Jail is completed - (first court started session was in January 1822)

March 1823 - First escape from the Jail, Enoch Calvert, who was awaiting trial for highway

robbery. On the night of March 28, 1823 he made his escape and went “at large.”

1872 - James Clark murder takes place in the Jail

1893 - County seat moves to Manassas

1897 - Dormitory for school located in the Courthouse

1910 - Private residence

1975 - Prince William County Park Authority Ranger Headquarters

2005 - Jail is stripped of modern interior facade to reveal damage; Historic Preservation

Division begins management of the building.

2009 - Contract rewarded to Commonwealth Architects for stabilization plan

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre

12229 Bristow Rd.

Bristow, VA 20136

703-365-7895

rorrison@pwcgov.org