In 2002, as part of a land exchange with the federal government, Fairfax County acquired the property known today as the Workhouse Arts Center and referred to herein as the "Workhouse Campus."

Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the federal agencies involved in the land exchange (the General Services Administration and the Bureau of Land Management) entered into a legally binding Memorandum of Agreement with Fairfax County and other interested parties to preserve the historically significant buildings and structures at the Workhouse Campus in a manner that favors adaptive reuse.

Since 2008, Fairfax County has worked with the Workhouse Arts Foundation (WAF) to renovate buildings at the Workhouse Campus to provide space for juried artists, performing arts, arts education, and a Workhouse prison museum for the benefit of the public. In 2014, WAF in cooperation with Fairfax County, initiated a new and expanded phase of the Workhouse Campus in which successful and financially viable arts programming, performances, and large public events have occurred, and the Lucy Burns Museum in Building W-2 and W-2A of the Workhouse Campus has been privately funded and renovated. This success has engaged the community and served as a catalyst for economic growth and development in the area.