Civil War Prison

I didn't realize until recently that there were any Civil War era prisons still standing; I guess I have to say that I hadn't given that a lot of thought one way or the other.  What I have here is a photograph of a Confederate prison (that is a prison that housed United States soldiers).  From what I've read it was really awful.  Guess that's no surprise.  It was modified heavily after the War, so I have a difficult time figuring out just how much of what's visible here was part of the prison.  And believe me I puzzled a bunch over this as I was taking the picture.  Anyway, where is it?  I don't think I'm making this too easy by saying that this building is within sight of  where a major civil rights demonstration took place in 1963.

(Here is a somewhat better view of this building.  As best as I can tell, the prison ended after the loading dock that's visible near the bottom right of the picture, even though the building now extends for the better part of a city block.)

Update: Now that Brian Clarke has identified the location, here's a link to a plaque in front of the building that gives some more details on "Confederetate Prison No. 6."  Danville's quite a place -- and I hope to talk some more about it later this summer.

Comments

[Dave Garrow]

Hi from Amsterdam---I don't know Richmond at all well, but I'd think that has to be the city!

[Alfred L. Brophy]

Hi David,

Richmond is a very good guess. However, while Richmond had a ton of prisons, I'm not sure as any of them are still standing. When I was living in Richmond back in 1990-91 I lived in a building that had been built in the late 19th century as a warehouse. It was right near where one of the major prisons (Libby) had been. But as I recall hearing at the time (this was before I became obsessed with issues of race and legal history, so I wasn't as focused on this as I would be now) all the prisons in that area had been taken down decades before.

You've got the state right. Thais is in Virginia. I guess acknowledging that this is in Virginia will make it pretty obvious where this is, because there weren't a ton of cities in Virginia during The War that were large enough to have buildings of this size. I can think of only five or six (maybe seven, ok, eight). But there weren't many that had buildings this size and were far enough away from the front lines to make sense as a prison.

[Brian Clarke]

Is it in Danville? I know there were prisons in old tobacco warehouses in Danville at least one of which survives. The building looks right architecturally as does the general state of the area. Not a lot going on in Danville these days (it is a short jaunt up US 29 from my hometown of Greensboro).

[Alfred Brophy]

It is Danville, Brian. Very nicely done. After the War the building was modified dramatically and I think they may have added an entire floor (you can see the differences in kinds of brick on the upper floor).

Danville's a pretty interesting place in my mind -- some beautiful old homes and three cemeteries all together (a National cemetery, and white and black cemeteries). Also the last White House of the Confederacy. There's something about finality that appeals to me about that place (as well as Appomattox and the small park at Durham Station). Seems quite sad economically. But maybe the conversion of the old tobacco warehouses will help restart the economy. This building, Confederate Prison 6, is about a block from where a civil rights protest took place in 1963. Lots of history all together in a small compass....