Lorton Reformatory, Historic district in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Lorton Reformatory is a historic district in Fairfax County, Virginia, covering 511 acres and divided into three sections: a workhouse, a reformatory, and a penitentiary. The buildings date from 1910 to 1938 and now include a museum and an arts center.
The site opened in 1910 as a prison farm designed to rehabilitate inmates through fieldwork and craft training. After 91 years of operation, the prison closed in 2001 and was later repurposed for cultural use.
Women imprisoned here for protesting in favor of voting rights endured forced feeding and other harsh treatment. Their suffering drew public sympathy and helped shift opinion toward granting women the vote.
Most buildings remain empty, but the Workhouse Arts Center and the Lucy Burns Museum welcome visitors. Both offer exhibits and guided tours that explain the history and layout of the site.
A hidden communications bunker operated beneath one of the buildings from 1959 to 2001. The facility was part of preparations for potential conflict with the Soviet Union and remained unknown to most inmates.
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