►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 |
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►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 |
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Waiting for the fireworks, July 5, 2014
►Lorton Arts Foundation changes name to Workhouse Arts Foundation |
2014 |