Nicholas Street Gaol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Canadian Prisons | |
| Nicholas Street Gaol (formerly Carleton County Jail) | |
| Location: | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Status: | Closed (adaptive reuse) |
| Classification: | City jail |
| Capacity: | unknown |
| Opened: | 1862 |
| Managed by: | Now a private hostel. |
The Nicholas Street Gaol was the main jail of Ottawa, Canada for over a century. The structure at 75 Nicholas Street was built as the Carleton County Gaol in 1862 next door to the court house to which it was connected by a tunnel. Designed by Henry Horsey, the jail was home to the death row and the building was the site of the last public hanging in Canada when Patrick Whelan was executed there in 1868 for the assassination of Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Over 5,000 people witnessed the Whelan's hanging, which was a large number considering the size of Ottawa at the time. The last execution at the jail took place on March 27, 1946 when Eugene Larmont, who had killed an Ottawa police detective, was hanged. The building remained in use as a jail until 1972 when the outdated facility was closed. It reopened the next year as a youth hostel. It remains Ottawa's youth hostel.
While open, the "jail" forced very inhuman conditions upon those imprisoned there. Up to 150 prisoners would be forced to share 60 small cells (1x3 meters) and 30 larger cells (2x3 meters); as well as six solitary confinement units. It wasn't only men who were imprisoned within the jail, but women and children as well. Inmates could be anyone from murderers, mentally insane or those in for a drunk and disorderly conduct.
Only 3 official hangings ever took place at the jail, however there are rumours of unofficial hangings took place at the hands of the guards. After the jail had closed, a bridge was constructed along the side of the grounds and several unmarked graves were discovered. It is possible there are still bodies buried under what is the parking lot today.
The Hostel itself is said to be haunted, and is featured on the "Ghosts and the Gallows" tour done by the Haunted Walk of Ottawa[1]. Hostel staff and guests have reported many strange and unusual events in the building, from disembodied voices, slamming doors, to ghostly apparitions appearing at the foot of their bed. Many people blame the strange happenings in the building on the restless spirit of Patrick James Whelan, as it is a strong possibility that he was an innocent man, executed for a crime he did not commit. In addition, he was promised by the judge he would be buried in his family's plot in Montreal. However, because of the fear of the Irish rioting in Montreal if his remains were returned there was so high, he was buried in secret somewhere on the grounds of the jail.
In addition to the ghost tour of the building, there is also the "Crime & Punishment Jail Tour" a historcial journey through the building, nightly at 7:00PM.
