Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail & the Plains

Fauquier County, VA was known as part of the Northern Neck of the Colony of Virginia. It was referred to as this by Captain John Smith. Over a century later, Fauquier County transitioned to part of Prince William County. Fauquier County honors Francis Fauquier who was the Governor of Virginia in the late 1700s. The county itself takes up over 600 miles of land in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The Old Jail, which was formerly known as The Old Jail Museum, is located in the old Fauquier County prison. Poor conditions forced the jail to close just 15 years after it was opened. They opened a new jail right behind it in 1823. It was closed again and turned into a museum in 1966 after being taken over by the Fauquier Historical Society. Click here for more information.