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Essex County Jail
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Essex County Jail in 1940.
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| Location: | Corner of Newark and New Streets, Newark, New Jersey |
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| Area: | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built: | 1837 |
| Architect: | John Haviland |
| Architectural style: | Greek Revival |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 91001366[1] |
| NJRHP #: | 1247[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | September 3, 1991 |
| Designated NJRHP: | March 11, 1991 |
Essex County Jail is located in the University Heights section of Newark, New Jersey and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1991. The jail was abandoned in 1970 when a new county jail was built. The jail is Essex County's oldest public building.[3] The grounds are located adjacent to the Norfolk Street station of the Newark Light Rail.
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The original building was designed by architect John Haviland and was built in 1837 at the corner of Newark and New Streets. The Morris Canal ran adjacent to the jail and formed the back of the property line. When the building was first built it was known as the Newark Street Jail. The jail was built to replace an earlier structure that was located at the corner of Broad and Walnut Streets and is the present site of the Grace Episcopal Church. The jail consisted of a two story square building built of brick and local brownstone. In 1890, the original building was expanded with multiple additions increasing the number of prison cells up to 300. The building was also updated to include running water and toilet facilities in each cell. The building served as Essex County's main jail until 1970 when a new jail was built. The buildings were closed in 1970 and haven’t been used since 1989, when the county’s Bureau of Narcotics moved out after engineers deemed the facility unsafe. In 1991, scenes for the film Malcolm X were shot at the jail.[4] In 2001, a fire caused severe damage, collapsing walls.
Since the fire, Newark acquired the site from Essex County on behalf of the nonprofit group, University Heights Science Park, using a $750,000 federal grant. The developer plans to build a 50-acre (200,000 m2) science and technology park in the Central Ward that would eventually contain one million square feet of laboratories and offices. The design calls for demolition of the remaining parts of former jail, but the city's landmark's committee, which seeks to have it restored, rejected the plan in 2010. [5]
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