By Ray Ezell
A sketch of the jail floorplan illustrating several of the features
of the 1813 structure as it was specified by the Orange
County Court.
The building was to be finished by November 1, 1811, and its specifications included:
a stone foundation underpinning a two-story brick masonry building with a gabled roof.
The structure was to be characterized by two pens flanking a central passage. The first
floor would serve as the jailor’s residence, while the second floor was planned for prisoner “apartments.” The building plan also contained chimneys at the gable ends and front and rear windows on both floors, as well as a system to convey human waste from the second
story jail cells to the outside.
On October 26, 1812, a commission of William Quarles, Robert Moore, and Richard Taliaferro was appointed to inspect the construction work to determine if it met the contract requirements. They determined that the work was out of compliance, adding that much
of it was completed after the November 1 deadline and was poorly executed. In particular, the window grates on the first floor were out of specification and the flooring of the second story and the door locks were of poor quality. Apparently, the Court agreed, directing that the substandard work be corrected by Johnson. On May 21, 1813, a new commission was appointed and instructed to issue a report of the additional corrective work. The new commissioners were William Chiles, Robert King, Reynolds Chapman, William Shepherd, and
another individual.
In addition to constructing the new jail, William W. Johnson also bought and dismantled the previous jail building (presumably on the same site) for $18. He likely salvaged much of the former jail components and building members for use in the new structure. The early courthouse and 1813 jail were located in the vicinity of today’s train station and visitor’s center.