| The Public Gaol (or Jail) is just down from Virginia's colonial capitol. It is the location where some of Blackbeard's crew were held for trial, and out back is a structure that resembles a gallows of sorts. Don't let the little white fence fool you though: in spite of it, the brick exterior and steel crisscrossing bars on the windows are a harsh contrast to the quaint houses up the hill on Duke of Gloucester Street. The entire feeling to the structure is different than that of the courthouse, the capitol, or the governor's palace. Here is where actual pirates were kept, where they mingled in the yard if allowed the privilege, and where they met with their legal teams (or did they?). It is the last bed and breakfast for many some prisoners - not just pirates, but also people accused of witchcraft and others with more pedestrian offenses. |  |
Inside, one is struck by the raw wood and metal. Color doesn't exist in the gaol - only the sepia tones of days gone by. Chains on the wall. Braced metal bars on the windows. Steel locks and shackles. Heavy doors. Large bolts and nails holding it all together. And steps rising to a hole with a removable lid (Do we wonder at the purpose?).
