Some Prefered the Gallows…
In 1638, English colonists established their first significant inland settlement on the high ground of the Virginia Peninsula, between the James and York Rivers. In 1699 Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg and given the honor of serving as the new capital of the Virginia Colony. As a result Williamsburg has had a truly unique place in American history. It has been witness to practically every aspect, from the Colonial era through the American Revolution and Civil War, to its present state as a modern city with a population of over 14,000.
One of Williamsburg’s most infamous historic structures is the Public Gaol-- a place where the accused once awaited trial. Each prison cell was designed to hold six inmates shackled to the wall, and although allowances were made for the accused to spend time in the exercise yard, the overcrowding and lack of sanitation made illness a real and likely possibility.
Conditions that are said to have been so bad the some would prefer the gallows over incarceration there.
Today eerie shadows have been seen moving about the cells on the first floor without explanation, and the balls and chains on display at what is now a museum have been known to move and swing by themselves. Some have even reported hearing the disembodied sounds of prisoners banging on the wall from inside, despite the building being empty.
