Minnesota Territorial Prison

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Minnesota Territorial-State Prison Warden's House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The warden's house, which is still standing and operating as a museum
The warden's house, which is still standing and operating as a museum
Location: Stillwater, Minnesota
Coordinates: 45°3′42″N 92°48′26″W / 45.06167, -92.80722Coordinates: 45°3′42″N 92°48′26″W / 45.06167, -92.80722
Built/Founded: 1853
Architect: Fisher,Jacob; Taylor,Jesse,Co.
Architectural style(s): Greek Revival, Italianate, Federal
Added to NRHP: December 17, 1974
NRHP Reference#: 74001044

[1]
MPS: Washington County MRA (AD)
Governing body: Private

The Minnesota Territorial Prison was a prison in Stillwater, Minnesota, operated from 1853 - 1914. Construction of the prison began in 1851, shortly after Minnesota became a territory [2]. The historic site, long since unused, was destroyed by arson on September 3, 2002 [3]

The prison was well-known because it once housed the Younger Brothers (Cole, Bob, and Jim), members of notorious outlaw Jesse James' gang.[3]

Today, the prison site has been converted to a large condominium project.

The warden's house at 602 North Main Street was built in 1853. It housed 13 wardens of the prison until Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater was built in Bayport, just south of Stillwater. After that, it continued to house deputy wardens and superintendents of the prison until the State of Minnesota sold the house to the Washington County Historical Society in 1941. The society opened it as a museum that year, as Minnesota's second historic house museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is still in operation.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2008-04-15).
  2. ^ History of Stillwater. Washington County Historical Society.
  3. ^ a b "Fire destroys historic Stillwater prison", Minnesota Public Radio. 
  4. ^ WCHS: Warden's House Museum, Stillwater, MN. Washington County Historical Society. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
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