Bruin's Slave Jail, building in Alexandria, Virginia
Bruin's Slave Jail is a two-story brick building in Alexandria built in 1819. It displays the Federal style common to early 1800s public architecture with symmetrical windows and formal design, and functioned as a holding facility where enslaved people awaited sale or transfer.
The building was constructed in 1819 as a holding facility for the slave trade, where Joseph Bruin and his partner collected and sold enslaved Africans to southern markets. During the Civil War it was seized by federal forces and later served as a courthouse for Fairfax County until the war ended in 1865.
The site is named after Joseph Bruin, the trader who operated the business from here. It stands as a silent reminder of the city's role in the slave trade and the people who awaited their sale within these walls.
The building sits on Duke Street in downtown Alexandria and is easily accessible for visitors interested in history. It is best explored on foot as part of a walking tour when visiting other nearby historic sites in the area.
Although Bruin's original house and other outbuildings have long since disappeared, the brick building itself still stands today. This rarity makes it a surviving fragment that still carries the architectural marks of its original purpose.
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