About this property
The Lorton Reformatory, also known as the Lorton Correctional Complex, is a former prison complex in Lorton, Virginia, established in 1910 for the District of Columbia, United States. The complex began as a prison farm called the Occoquan Workhouse for nonviolent offenders serving short sentences. The District established an adjacent reformatory in 1914, and then a 10-acre (4.0 ha) walled penitentiary constructed by inmates from 1931 through 1938, as a division of the reformatory with heightened security. The complex came under the administration of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections when it was formed in 1946. After further expansions, a peak size of 3,500-acre (1,400 ha), and 92 years of service, the facility was ordered closed in the late 1990s.
Location
Federal Designation
The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 06000052. It was listed on February 16, 2006.
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District listed on the National Register?
D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 2006.
What type of historic resource is D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District?
D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District?
The period of significance for D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.
Can I research the history near D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.