►President T. Roosevelt approves planto establish DCWorkhouse and Reformatory
President Theodore Roosevelt |
Spring 1909 |
| ►60th Congress finds two sites of 1000 acres each in southwest Fairfax County | Fall 1909 |
| ►1150 acres of land acquired for $28,650 for DC Workhouse | 4/1/1910 |
►First inmates arrive by barge at Occoquan wharf from DCWorkhouse Farm Fields Workhouse Farm Fields |
6/1/1910 |
| ►First temporary buildings constructed at present DC workhouse site | 10/1910 |
►Brickyard establishedBrickyard and Kiln
Last Remaining Kiln in Occoquan Regional Park
|
Late 1910 |
►Women’s Workhouse annex established across the road from men’s workhouseWomen’s “Workhouse Annex |
1912 |
| ►Permanent wooden buildings at Workhouse site completed and occupied | 1914 |
| ►Laurel Hill House first used as residence for correctional complex superintendent | 1915 |
| ►Wooden buildings at Reformatory complete and occupied | 11/1916 |
►Suffragists incarcerated in Women’s WorkhouseSuffragist Lucy Burns
 Photographs from the Records of the National Woman’s Party / Harris & Ewing, Washington, D.C. – Library of Congress |
1917-1918 |
►Permanent brick buildings erected at Workhouse and ReformatoryWorkhouse Dormitory
Reformatory Mess Hall
Reformatory Hospital
Reformatory Quad
|
1924-1925 |
| ►Railroad built from wharf to Workhouse and Reformatory | 1925 |
| ►Railroad extended to RF&P interchange at Lorton | 1927 |
| ►Maximum security facility commenced building | 1931 |
| ►First ‘white collar’ criminals incarcerated | 6/1931 |
►Maximum security facility (Penitentiary) openedPenitentiary Guard Tower
Penitentiary Cells
|
1936 |
| ►Barge transportation between DC and Occoquan ended | 7/1941 |
| ►DC Department of Corrections created to supervise DC jail and Lorton complex | 1946 |
| ►Farm 95% mechanized | 1950 |
| ►Reformatory fence/lights installed | 1950-1952 |
►Anti-aircraft missile site built, manned by U.S. Army ReserveNike Hercules Integrated Fire ControlArmy Air Defense Command |
1953 |
| ►Lorton Jazz festival begins | 1954 |
►Chapel designed and built by inmates Chapel |
1957 |
| ►First corrections officer killed in the line of duty | 1958 |
| ►Youth Center opens | 1960 |
| ►First major riot occurs | 1963 |
| ►Nuclear-Attach Response/Civil Defense HQ opens in basement of Youth Center | 1964 |
►Eastern District Federal Court decriminalizes alcohol offenses (Easter decision) Workhouse 1964 |
1964 |
| ►Brickyard and cannery closed►Men’s and Women’s Workhouses closed. Reopens as an alcohol treatment center | 1966 |
| ►Anti-Vietnam war protesters incarcerated in Workhouse (included Normal Mailer and Noam Chomsky) | 10/1967 |
| ►First attempt to remove prison from Lorton | 1970 |
| ►Missile base closes | 1974 |
| ►Railroad ceases operation | 1977 |
| ►Railroad abandoned | 1980 |
| ►New minimum security facility established at former missile site | 1985 |
►Major riots and fire at Workhouse and Reformatory |
7/1986 |
►Farming and animal husbandry operations cease.c. 1955 |
1995 |
| ►Super maximum security facility started | 1995 |
| ►Federal trustees take over responsibility for prison complex | 1995 |
►Dairy farm closes Prison cows before auction |
6/1998 |
| ►Congress moves to turn over prison complex to Fairfax County | 1998 |
| ►Fairfax Water Authority assumes control of former women’s prison site | 1998 |
| ►Last prisoner leaves | 12/2001 |
| ►GSA accepts Fairfax County’s offer to purchase the DC Correctional Facility at Lorton for $4,235,000 | April 17, 2002 |
| ►Fairfax County Park Authority leases workhouse site to Lorton Arts Foundation | 2002 |
►Lorton Arts Center opens Museum in Building 9
Workhouse Arts Center at Twilight
|
9/2008 |
►Workhouse Prison Museum established First Workhouse Prison Museum |
Late 2008 |
Waiting for the fireworks, July 5, 2014
►Lorton Arts Foundation changes name to Workhouse Arts Foundation |
2014 |
