The Old Fairfax County Jail was built in 1885, behind the Fairfax County Court House. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1981, expanding the previously listed Fairfax County Court House. It is located in the

City of Fairfax Historic District The City of Fairfax Historic District is a national historic district located at Fairfax, Virginia. It encompasses 28 contributing buildings in the central business district of Fairfax. Notable buildings include the Old Town Hall, which was ...

Uses

The building operated as a jail for 68 years, until 1953 when jail facilities were added to the courthouse. Since 1956 it has been used for various

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

offices such as juvenile court, fine board, police dispatch, and recreation. an
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Historic documents

The former jail was used for the County Clerk's Office c. 1974, during which time historically important documents were found in the building such as two volumes of early 19th-century registrations of free blacks, as well as the wills of

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

and

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...

. While George Washington's will remained in the adjacent Fairfax Court House during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Martha's did not. When Union troops from the Ohio Volunteer Infantry occupied the original building in 1862, Lt Col David Thompson picked up some papers in the building, and recognizing Martha Washington's will, kept it. His daughter sold the will after his death to

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...

. Between 1908 and 1913, the Fairfax County Court Clerk and the Commonwealth's Attorney attempted to have the will returned, but were unsuccessful. After Morgan's death, the Falls Church chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

took up the effort with a letter to Morgan's son, requesting the will. The issue finally rose to the level of the Virginia

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, and the U.S Supreme Court. It was returned to Fairfax in 1915, when J. P. Morgan, Jr. decided not to fight the Supreme Court case that had been brought by Virginia.

Notes

External links

Fairfax County, VA
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Jails on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Italianate architecture in Virginia Government buildings completed in 1885 National Register of Historic Places in Fairfax, Virginia Historic district contributing properties in Virginia Jails in Virginia