The 1907 Northampton Jail Museum Grand Opening Weekend
The 1907 Northampton Jail Museum
Grand Opening Weekend
June 28 & 29 from 12:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
With Museum Presentations at 12:30 p.m.
The Northampton Historic Preservation Society will have a Grand Opening for the 1907 Jail Museum on June 28 and 29, 2025 in Eastville, Virginia. Built by the B. F. Smith Fireproof Construction Company, the jail is a rare remaining example of the simplified Romanesque Revival style with arched windows and corbeled brickwork detail. It is one of the last surviving examples of B. F. Smith’s popular “fireproof” construction methods incorporating a concrete ceiling and floor. The newly restored 1907 Jail Museum will be added to the four existing historic buildings with exhibits on the Northampton County Court Green dating back to 1731.
By viewing the 1907 Jail exhibits, visitors will see the complete history of the various Northampton jails. dating back to the 1600s. The displays provide details about how the inmates held in the County’s jails were treated and the buildings that were used to contain them over various time periods.
The 1907 Jail main room exhibit, “Stories from Northampton Jails,” focuses on the actions of prisoners who became widely known to the public through contemporary newspapers. The Eastern Shore community, Virginia, and other parts of the country followed the details of the crimes, arrests, and trials in Northampton. In each of the three stories, people took impulsive actions with results that dramatically altered their lives and the lives of others. Each story includes the influence of a changing environment – including vulnerability before a war, rapid community growth, and a nationwide railroad strike. Of particular note as the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, is the 1776 exhibit which reveals the details of two groups of enslaved men who heard about Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation and escaped to find freedom with the British.
Another part of the jail exhibition is presented on four two-sided rolling posters in the main area. These exhibits provide the history of three centuries of Northampton’s jails. They address variations in the various jails’ construction through the years and how jailers incorporated societal expectations for dealing with prisoners. Additional displays offer more details about the 1907 Jail, including pictures of the jail’s original blueprints and the contract with the architect Bartholomew F. Smith along with a list of Northampton’s sheriffs dating back to 1634.
Visitors can view the two small cells in what was originally the front of the jail. Reports showed that these cells held women, those considered insane, and sometimes more serious offenders. Also, a wall in the main section of the jail is designated as a Genealogy Center to help visitors in using the extensive resources of the nearby Northampton County Clerk’s Office to research their family's history or conduct general research. The Clerk’s Office holds the nation’s oldest continuous court records dating back to 1632.
NHPS wishes to thank all the individual donors who supported this project to preserve Northampton’s history. NHPS also wishes to acknowledge the generous support provided by The Cabell Foundation and the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation with grants to help fund the restoration of the 1907 Jail and to the Virginia Humanities with a grant to help fund in part the Jail Museum exhibits.
Located next to the Northampton County Administration Bldg., 16404 Courthouse Road Eastville, VA - Rain or shine free event.