Main building at the turn of the 20th century |
|
| Location | Wetumpka, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 1842 |
| Closed | 1942 |
|
Alabama State Penitentiary
|
|
| Area: | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| Built: | 1839–41 |
| Architect: | W.H. Thomas |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73000342[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | May 8, 1973 |
The Wetumpka State Penitentiary (WSP), originally known as the Alabama State Penitentiary, was the first state prison established in Alabama.[2] Built on the east bank of the Coosa River in Wetumpka, Alabama, it was nicknamed the "Walls of Alabama" or "Walls." For much of its existence the prison housed both men and women in separate quarters.[3] The historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1973.[1]
On January 26, 1839, the Alabama Legislature, under Governor of Alabama Arthur P. Bagby, enacted a criminal code that authorized the creation of the first prison in Alabama. On August 21 of that year the state purchased a site along the Coosa River in Wetumpka, as the site was centrally located within the state. Bagby placed the first cornerstone of the prison in October of that year. By 1841 the $84,889 prison was completed. It had 208 cells and was surrounded by 25-foot (760 cm) walls. The first prisoner entered the prison in 1842.[3] In 1922 Wetumpka became a women's prison.[4]
A fire destroyed a portion of the Wetumpka prison on January 23, 1931; within 40 days after the fire the facility was completely functional. After a fire at the Speigner prison on November 28, 1932, Wetumpka housed the convicts from Speigner until December 26, 1932, after temporary buildings at Speigner opened. In 1941 the prison was renamed to the Julia Tutwiler Prison; at that point it was mostly used for female prisoners. In December 1942 a new Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women opened, built less than a mile north of the Wetumpka State Penitentiary. The previous Wetumpka prison's usage decreased, and beginning in 1945 the State of Alabama began selling small parcels of the old prison land.[3] Several buildings survived to the last decades of the 20th century, but have since been demolished.[1]