When Ethyl Corporation purchased the penitentiary land, an  
archaeological survey was done by Kathy Biedleman. As of the end of  
2006, it was not listed in the DHR inventory. You might contact  
Quatro Hubbard at 367-2323 for more info. She located several graves  
and the foundations of the various structures among other items.

Also, Doug Harnsberger did a study of the place in 1992 entitled: "A  
Brief History of the Virginia State Penitentiary (1797-1991)  
Richmond, Virginia" which is kept at the VA Dept of Historic  
Resources as Henrico Report #69. You might contact Quatro Hubbard at  
367-2323 for more info. It was 75 pages.

Lyle Browning


On Jun 27, 2007, at 5:26 PM, David Kiracofe wrote:

> Henry,  Years ago I was doing some research on the suppression of the
> Gabriel Conspiracy of 1800 in the Library of Virginia manuscript
> collections, and came across has a report on the penitentiary.  Along
> with reports of prisoner diet, expenditures of various kinds, it also
> discussed what they produced in the prison workshops.  The report  
> was in
> the Governor's papers (James Monroe's adminstration).  I'm sorry I  
> can't
> give you a specific date beyond that.
>
> Good luck.
>
> David Kiracofe
>
>
> David Kiracofe
> History
> Tidewater Community College
> Chesapeake Campus
> 1428 Cedar Road
> Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
> 757-822-5136
>>>> Henry Wiencek <[log in to unmask]> 06/27/07 11:50 AM >>>
> Having done soap, I turn to nails. Jefferson had a nailery at  
> Monticello
> in
> the 1790s and early 1800s (until he was run out of business by cheap
> British
> imports) where he set to work slaves aged 10-16. A dissertation says
> that
> Jefferson's local competition for his nailery was the Virginia State
> Penitentiary. The designer of the 'pen,' Benjamin Henry Latrobe,
> consulted
> with Jefferson on the design. The new prison was supposed to  
> reflect the
> most advanced "liberal" thinking on prison reform. I'm digging into  
> the
> sources, but does anyone know anything about the nailery at the state
> prison? I'm wondering if it was Jefferson's idea, Latrobe's idea, or
> someone
> else's.
>
> Henry Wiencek