Georgia Penitentiary at Milledgeville Georgia was one of the
first southern states to build a penitentiary to confine
criminals. In 1803, when the city of Milledgeville was chosen to
replace Louisville as the capital of Georgia, a square of
sixteen acres was set aside for a penitentiary. Governor John
Milledge asked the 1804 legislature to establish a penitentiary
system "with the view of softening the rigors of our penal
code." A legislative committee was set up in 1810 to revise
Georgia's penal code and to set up a penitentiary. Construction
on the facility began in 1812 and was completed in December
1816. Both the architect and the contractor resided in
Milledgeville. The edifice included a wing for male prisoners,
prison workshops, and the principal keeper or warden's house.
The penitentiary occupied only a small portion of the square
because two academies and the county courthouse shared the site
as well. The first prisoner was received in March 1817. During
the early nineteenth century Georgians came to