Virginia State Penitentiary: A Notorious History (Landmarks)

Thomas Jefferson conceived the Virginia State Penitentiary and established a model that shaped the American prison system. Architect Benjamin Latrobe, who also designed the U.S. Capitol and White House, created the facility, which opened in 1800. Vice President Aaron Burr was held there in 1807 while awaiting trial for treason. Over its 190-year history, the prison faced severe overcrowding, three fires, an earthquake, and numerous riots. More than 240 executions were carried out by electric chair. The ACLU once designated it the "most shameful prison in America." The institution was marked by racial injustice, eugenics experiments, and the confinement of children alongside adult prisoners. Dale M. Brumfield documents this notorious history of the iconic Virginia penitentiary.