Warden's House (Alcatraz Island)

The Warden's House was the home of the wardens of the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, off San Francisco. It is located at the southeastern end of the Main Cellblock, next to Alcatraz Lighthouse. The 3-floor 15-room mansion was built in 1921 according to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area signpost,[1] although some sources say it was built in 1926 or 1929 and had 17 or 18 rooms.[2]

Warden's House and lighthouse

After Alcatraz was converted into a federal penitentiary, between 1934 and 1963 the four wardens of Alcatraz resided here including the first warden, James A. Johnston. A house of luxury in stark contrast to the jail next to it, the wardens often held lavish cocktail parties here.[3] The signpost at the spot shows a photograph of a trusted inmate doing chores at the house for the warden and that the house had a terraced garden and greenhouse.[1] The mansion had tall windows, providing fine views of San Francisco Bay.[2]

Today the house is a ruin, burnt during the AIM (American Indian Movement) Occupation of Alcatraz on June 1, 1970.[2][4][5] AIM tried to put out the flames, but a bucket brigade was inadequate.[5]

The Warden's house had a greenhouse. Working there and getting access was a high mark of trust and approval for an inmate.[6]

The slope below the Warden's House has been the subject of structural remediation as it was deteriorating.[7]

The Warden's House is labelled on the map of Alcatraz

References
  1. "Warden's House". Golden Gate National Recreational Area. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  2. Dunbar, Richard (1999). Glaser, Ken; Kenney, Kevin (eds.). Alcatraz. Florence, Italy; San Francisco, California: Casa Editrice Bonechi, Smith Novelty Company. pp. 52, 73, 82. ISBN 978-88-8029-940-0.
  3. Hughes, Holly; Murphy, Sylvie; Flippin, Alexis Lipsitz; Duchaine, Julie (2 February 2010). Frommer's 500 Extraordinary Islands. John Wiley & Sons. p. 369. ISBN 978-0-470-50070-5. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  4. Wellman, Gregory L. (June 2, 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island: 1853-2008. Images of America Series. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-738-55815-8.
  5. Sloate, Susan; Cochran, Josh (Illustrator) (April 1, 2008). Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz (Paperback). Sterling Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-402-73591-2.
  6. "The Gardens of Alcatraz" (PDF). Alcatraz Gardens Project. Alcatrazgardens.org, National Park Service, The Gardens Conservancy, The Golden Gate National Parks Gardens Conservancy. 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2019. At the top of the main road are the ruins of the warden's house, which included a small greenhouse built for Warden Swope's wife Edna. Inmate Elliott Michener said he gained "a lasting interest in creativity" from eight years of building gardens on the west side. Near the end of his sentence he was promoted to the warden's house, and after parole he wrote to the warden, "For the first time I'm learning how much better one can do living honestly than by, say, counterfeiting! We have cars and fat bank accounts... And we have a favor to ask: will you send us a bush of our old 'Gardenia' rose?"
  7. "Alcatraz Historic Preservation Projects". Alcatraz Island. National Park Service. Retrieved February 14, 2019.

37°49′34″N 122°25′19″W

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