Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/01/1999
NRHP Listing Date 08/14/2000
NRHP Reference Number 00000890
Bruin’s Slave Jail is a Federal-style brick dwelling constructed about 1819 for John Longden, who sold the property in 1844 to Joseph Bruin, a slave dealer. Bruin used the house as a holding facility or “slave jail” for enslaved peoples awaiting sale to individuals and other dealers. Harriet Beecher Stowe, in her book The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1854), described how she used her knowledge of Bruin’s slave jail as background for part of her explosive 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This building in the city of Alexandria also served as the Fairfax County courthouse from 1862 to 1865 under the Restored Government of Virginia. Bruin’s Slave Jail is a fine example of a locally uncommon five-bay dwelling that retains historical fabric reflecting its use as a slave jail.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: April 11, 2023
