Carbon County Jail

Carbon County Jail
Carbon County Jail, December 2007
Location 128 Broadway Street, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°51′50″N 75°44′49″W / 40.86389°N 75.74694°W / 40.86389; -75.74694Coordinates: 40°51′50″N 75°44′49″W / 40.86389°N 75.74694°W / 40.86389; -75.74694
Area 4.9 acres (2.0 ha)
Built 1869-1870
Architect Haviland, Edward; Bowman,Henry
NRHP Reference # 74001764[1]
Added to NRHP November 8, 1974

The Carbon County Jail is a historic jail located at Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The jail was built in 1869-1870 and is a two-story, fortress-like rusticated stone building. It has thick, massive walls and a square, one-story guard turret above the main entrance. It features arched windows on the main facade and on the turret. The building is most notable as the jail where a number of suspected "Molly Maguires" were imprisoned while awaiting trial in 1875-1876.[2]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1974.[1] It is located in the Old Mauch Chunk Historic District.

The building is now operated as the Old Jail Museum. In one cell, there is a handprint left by Alexander Campbell, a "Molly Maguire" who was hanged in 1877, to proclaim his innocence. Legend has it that despite many attempts to remove it, including building a new wall, the mark still remains today.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Sally McMurry (August 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Carbon County Jail" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  3. O'Donnell, Matt (2007-06-01). "The Ghostly Handprint". An Action News Special Report (ABC News). Retrieved 2007-06-26.

External links


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