Description
The Libby Prison was perhaps the most famous Civil War prison. Located in Richmond, Virginia, it consisted of three buildings originally built as a tobacco warehouse in 1845 and leased beginning in 1854 by L. Libby & Son, Ship Chandlers. When the Civil War started, Libby, a native of Maine whose business primarily served Northern shippers, closed operations but continued his lease. When the first Union prisoners of war were brought to Richmond in 1861, he was forced to turn over the property for use as a prison. However, the business’s sign was not taken down, so the buildings became popularly known as Libby Prison. Libby never did regain use of them — after the war, they continued to house prisoners for the next three years, this time former Confederates. Subsequently other business used the site.
After being purchased in 1888 by a Chicago syndicate, the former Libby Prison was carefully dismantled and hauled in railroad cars to Chicago, where it was rebuilt the following year as The Great Libby Prison War Museum. The museum operated as a profitable attraction until 1899, when it was again dismantled to make way for the Chicago Coliseum. The collection and some of the bricks went to the Chicago Historical Society. Most of the wood from the structure was sold to an Indiana farmer named Frank Davis, who used them to construct a large barn. A publication of the Richmond Civil War Centennial Committee from the early 1960s states that his daughter, Miss Ella J. Davis, “presented the City of Richmond recently with a gavel made from this wood.” An account from 1912 states that a Kansas legislator and former prisoner of war at Libby was presented with a gavel made from its wood in 1887.
References:
Blackmar, Frank W. Reprint of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. … Vol. II. Chicago: Standard Pub. Co., 1912. Blue Skyways. 2002. http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/m/martins_administration.html (24 November 2004).
“Inaugurate Move for Memorial Hall.” Reprint from New Castle News, August 27, 1924. Reunions of the Soldiers of the 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, “The Roundheads.” 7 July 2004. http://www.100thpenn.com/59threunion.htm (24 November 2004).
Waitt, Robert W. “Libby Prison.” Reprint of Official Publication #12. Richmond, Virginia: Richmond Civil War Centennial Committee, 1961- 1965. Civil War Richmond. 2004. http://www.mdgorman.com/Prisons/Libby/libby_prison__robert_w_waitt.htm (24 November 2004).
