A guard tower at Lorton Correctional Center in May 2013. The center closed in 2001, but some historical structures remain, including those used by the Workhouse Arts Center. Forsaken Photos via Wikimedia
LORTON CORRECTIONAL CENTER, LORTON, VIRGINIA
9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, Virginia
Beginning with the opening of the Occoquan Workhouse in 1916, the Lorton Correctional Center served as a prison for the District of Columbia through 2001, when inmates were moved to the federal prison system in keeping with direction from Congress. Initially a prison farm, there were expansions over the years and the various facilities at Lorton once housed at least 8,000 men and women. When the prison was closed, the lands were turned over to Fairfax County, Virginia, which began redevelopment. Occupying the former Occoquan Workhouse today is the Workhouse Arts Center and the Lucy Burns Museum, both open to the public. The museum includes exhibits covering 91 years of prison history, including the imprisonment of female activists and other civil rights protestors. Tours are available.
More information: Workhouse Arts Center; phone (703) 584-2900
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