During the early 20th century Progressive Era, officials in the District of Columbia directed the establishment of “a new kind of prison,” an experiment in corrections that was to be humane and economical. More than 2,000 acres of Fairfax County farmland near the Occoquan River community of Lorton became the “Workhouse,” an institution without fences, bars, guard towers or cellblocks. Prisoners were to be treated fairly, learn useful trades and make the facility self-supporting. Through 91 years as the District’s correctional facility (1910-1998), the Workhouse gained early visibility by holding suffragist Lucy Burns, Dora Lewis and dozens more. The treatment of the suffragists while at the Occoquan Workhouse in 1917 would play a pivotal role in the fight to pass the 19th Amendment.