The Chesterfield "Old Jail", pictured above,  is a stone and brick structure which sits next to the Museum.  It sits on a tract of land that was known in the 18th Century as "Coldwater Run".   The County was basically a rural community and the jail was an outbuilding near the court house.  The original jail was called the "Bastile".  No one seems to know why it was called that.  The "Bastile" was a one story granite structure built in 1842.   It had three cells.  The 1842 jail was condemned in 1890 and a new jail constructed using some of the stone blocks and other reusable materials.  It was completed in 1892.  This is the building referred to now as the "Old Jail". 

The "Old Jail" could hold up to 24 prisoners, usually fed by the Sheriff and his family.  It was seldom used in the early part of the 20th Century until 1936 when the crime rate became an issue.  Some prisoners escaped by climbing through the ceiling.  This prompted renovations and a steel ceiling was added.  A new flat roof was added, the front porch removed, and the left door was placed in the center.  It soon became the home of the County Police Department and later used by the Fire Department until 1982 when it became a museum.  It is presently opened to tourists for tours starting at the Museum.  You can see a movie (below) of what the jail used to be before renovations started.

The Old Jail is has been re-opened for tours.  The adjacent Museum houses exhibits pertaining to the history of Chesterfield County.  Rotating exhibits are themed along historical events that affected county residents.  Please take a tour of the Museum.  Admission is $2.00 suggested donation is accepted.   ♦♦ Exhibits at the Old Jail

CHSV Newsletter article on the Old 1892 Jail.