Old Capitol Prison

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A photo of the prison

The prison's architectural diagram.

The Old Capitol Prison served a jail in Washington, D.C. during the time of the Civil War.

The site was orignally by a red brick tavern and hostel called Stelle's Hotel, built around 1800 at 1st and A Streets NE in Washington (the current site of the U.S. Supreme Court building). After the British burned the United States Capitol during the War of 1812, Congress pulled down the hostel and built a temporary brick capitol building in the Federal style. Congress met at Blodgett's Hotel on E Street NW in the interim, then occupied the brick capitol from December 8, 1815 until 1825. ^[1]

The building was actually financed by Washington real-estate investors, who had heard rumors that some Congressmen were discussing relocation of the national capital in the aftermath of the burning, and wanted to prevent their land values from decreasing by keeping the government in Washington.

Until the time of the Civil War, the building was used as a private school, then as a boarding house. John C. Calhoun, former Vice President of the United States and architect of the Civil War, died in the boarding house in 1850.

With the breakout of the Civil War in 1861, the Union repurchased the building to use as a prison for captured Confederates, as well as political prisoners, Union officers convicted of insubordination, and local prostitutes. The adjoining row of houses, Duff Green's Row, was also used as part of the prison.

Famous inmates of the prison included Rose Greenhow, Belle Boyd, John Mosby, and Henry Wirz, who was hanged in the yard of the prison.

The government sold the Old Capitol Prison in 1867 to George T. Brown, then sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. Senate, who modified the building into three rowhouses collectively known as "Trumbull's Row." In the 20th Century they were used as the headquarters of the National Woman's Party until 1929, when the government declared eminent domain and razed the building to make way for the U.S. Supreme Court.