Carbon County Jail
The Carbon County Jail is a historic jail located in Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
Carbon County Jail | |
 Carbon County Jail, December 2007 | |
   | |
| Location | 128 Broadway Street, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°51′50″N 75°44′49″W |
| Area | 4.9 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1869–1870 |
| Built by | Henry Bowman |
| Architect | Edward Haviland |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001764[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1974 |
History
The jail was built in 1869–1870 by Harry Bowman (under architect Edward Haviland) and is a two-story, fortress-like rusticated stone building. It has thick, massive walls and a square, one-story guard turret above the main entrance. It features arched windows on the main facade and on the turret. There is a basement which was used for solitary confinement until 1980. The building is most notable as the jail where a number of suspected "Molly Maguires" were imprisoned while awaiting trial in 1875–1876 and subsequently hanged.[2]
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1974.[1] It is located in the Old Mauch Chunk Historic District.
On January 23, 1995, following the completion and opening of the new $8.2 million Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning, the prisoners were transferred out of the jail to the new facility.[3]
Museum
When the county put the jail up for sale in the fall of 1994, local residents Thomas McBride and wife Betty Lou purchased the building for $160,000 with the goal of preserving the local history.[4] The building is now operated as the Old Jail Museum with seasonal tours. In cell 17, there is a handprint left by Alexander Campbell, a "Molly Maguire" who was hanged in 1877, to proclaim his innocence. Legend has it that despite many attempts to remove it, including building a new wall, the mark still remains today.[5]
See also
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 14 September 2005. Note: This includes Sally McMurry (August 1974). 01H.pdf "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Carbon County Jail" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-30.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - Call, WALT ROLAND, The Morning. "OLD JAIL MAY HOUSE MOLLY LORE JIM THORPE BUSINESSMAN PURCHASES FORMER CARBON PRISON". mcall.com. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Call, WALT ROLAND, The Morning. "OLD JAIL MAY HOUSE MOLLY LORE JIM THORPE BUSINESSMAN PURCHASES FORMER CARBON PRISON". mcall.com. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - O'Donnell, Matt (2007-06-01). "The Ghostly Handprint". An Action News Special Report. ABC News. Archived from the original on 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
