The JailThe original gaol building which includes two L-shaped portions as well as the original exercise yard were completed in 1854. It is a stone walled t...
The Jail
The original gaol building which includes two L-shaped portions as well as the original exercise yard were completed in 1854. It is a stone walled two-storey building with a gable roof.
In 1869 a new two-storey jail was built using limestone blocks along with three new jail yards. One of the jail yards may have been used for executions by hanging where people would gather to watch. Later in 1877 a third storey addition was built adding 14 more cells to the jail.
In 1889 the Governor's residence was constructed. It is a two and one-half storey red brick building.
Here are a few interesting facts about the prison:
Up until the 1850s when the first jail was built, jailers would often have to keep prisoners in there own homes.
The prisoners would be confined to their cells for most of the day and night, they were made of stone and likely very cold and only three feet wide!
The first prisoners, a man and his mother were being held in the prison temporarily before they were moved to a larger facility. The gaol was not finished yet, the surrounding walls had not been built and there was scaffolding surrounding the building. Some friends of the inmates came and removed the scaffolding and pried the bars off. The mother would be captured a year later but the son was never caught.
In 2011 the jail was permanently closed and vacated and ownership was transferred to the city. It has sat vacant ever since. The jail is also listed on the city's heritage registry.
Since then the city has listed the building for sale many times, one time being for as little as $1. They have issued a request for proposals and received no responses. Most recently, the city has sold the property for $50,000 and the buyer would like to create a wedding venue, dining and entertainment complex with a shared workspace area. The site would also include an interactive museum.
