Former jail being razed
By Jason Jacks
Work on demolishing Loudoun County's old jail next to the courthouse in downtown Leesburg began June 30.In 2007, the Sheriff's Office unveiled a new, larger state-of-the-art detention center near Leesburg Executive Airport south of town, making the 54-year-old facility at the corner of Church Street and Edwards Ferry Road obsolete.
For years, the old jail was plagued by complaints of outdated conditions and insufficient cell space for the county's growing inmate population. However, when it opened last June, Sheriff's Office authorities said their new jail was already too small. A second phase is in the works.
A jail has stood at the corner of Church and Edwards Ferry since 1814, according to a historical survey of the site. The one there now was built in 1954, with an addition constructed in 1970.
Robert Edwards, with the county's Office of Capital Construction, said demolition will take about a week to finish and at least 80 percent of the building, including most of its bricks, will be recycled.
As for what was discovered in the building, besides graffiti: "No shanks [makeshift knives] and no bodies," he said. "But there is rumor that there is a time capsule in there somewhere. But we haven't found it."
Edwards said once the building is razed, work will begin on converting the site into a parking lot for the courthouse.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com