As recently as the late 19th century, the public jail in St. Augustine, FL
was built with attached living quarters for the jailer and his family. It
was built by railroad and hotel millionaire Henry Flagler so that he could
have the land the original jail was on to put up another fancy hotel.
Jailhouse still exists today as a tourist attraction, with jailer's quarters
furnished more or less appropriately for the time period.
Lucy Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Derry" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: Jail excavations
> About jails having domestic refuse patterns: Let's not forget that often,
> county jails were also the home to the jailors and their families. If
> anyone is interested, I'm included below two descriptions of county jails
in
> Dallas County Alabama (1823 & 1858) taken from old newspaper accounts.
The
> later clearly indicates that the jailors family lived on the first floor
of
> the jail. Also, a cousin of mine (aged about 55 yrs) herself grew up in
the
> in the Bibb County Alabama jail because her father was the jailor.
>
> SEE BELOW FOR NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS OF JAILS - I was particularly fascinated
by
> the archaeological implications of walls and ceilings being "well spiked"
> and "filled with large nails."
>
>
> Linda Derry, Director
> Old Cahawba - AHC
> 719 Tremont St.
> Selma, AL 36701 - 5446
> phone: 334/875-2529
> Fax: 334/877-4253
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> CAHAWBA PRESS APRIL 12, 1823
> NOTICE
> Sealed proposals will be received at the clerk's office of the county
court
> of Dallas until the 1st day of May next, for building a Jail in the town
of
> Cahawba of the following materials and dimensions, to wit: forty feet
long,
> twenty feet wide, two stories high; the first story nine feet in the
clear,
> the second eight feet, to be made of well burnt bricks, the walls at least
> two feet thick ; two partition walls below and two above of brick of the
> same thickness, and one partition wall of oak above, between the criminals
> rooms, one foot thick - the lower floors to be laid with one and a half
inch
> pine plank on strong sleepers the rooms below to be ceiled entire with
pine
> plank, the second floor to be laid with oak timbers at least ten inches
> thick, tried up close together and crossed layed with one and a half inch
> oak plank, well spiked,; the third floor on which the roof rest to be made
> of oak timbers least ten inches thick and tried up as the second floor;
the
> rooms of the second story to be ceiled entire with two inch oak plank, the
> debtors room to be well spiked; the ceiling of the criminals room to be
also
> well spiked, then filled with large nails two inches apart and lined with
> sheet iron put on with spikes. the windows in the debtors room to be
single
> grated, and those of the criminals double grated; the door to debtors and
> criminals rooms to be made of oak plank, one half inch thick, double and
> crossed to be filled thickly with large nails and covered on the inside
with
> sheet iron spiked on, and to be well supplied with locks, bars, hinges and
> bolts. Three strong batten doors in the lower story, and one pannel door
in
> front; six windows in the lower story, fifteen lights each glazed
complete;
> one chimney with two fire places; a shingled roof of best materials; the
> whole of the work to be made of the best materials and in a workman like
> manner, and completed by the 25th day of Dec. next. Bond with approved
> security will be required of the undertaker for a faithful performance of
> the work, and it is expected of those who make proposals to name their
> securities. As soon as a contract is entered into and bond given, an
order
> will be drawn in favor of the undertaker on the County Treasurer for five
> hundred dollars; a second order will be drawn in their favor when the
first
> set of sleepers are put on; a third order when the second floor joints
are
> put on; a fourth when the building is inclosed, and so on to su[ ]
> conveniencey of the undertaker if he should be progressing agreeable to
> contract. A plan of the building is deposited in the clerk's office to
> which persons disposed to undertake are referred. The Commissioners wish
it
> distinctly understood that in making the contract for building the Jail
they
> are not to be considered individually responsible for any part of the
money.
> THE COMMISSIONERS Cahawba, April 12
>
> ===================
>
> DALLAS GAZETTE JUNE 26, 1857
> Attempt to Break Jail
>
> The Slave Peas who is confined to our jail charged with arson and
burglary
> attempted to break jail last Saturday night. He sawed through two bars of
> iron, half an inch thick and 2 or 3 inches wide, besides sawing through
> several bolts, taps or screws. All this was done with an old case knife
> hacked into a sort of saw. This is the second attempt he had made to
> escape.
> Mr. Comalander, the Jailer returned home from Montgomery last
Saturday
> night, about 12 o'clock. Immediately after his arrival, his wife informed
> him that there was something wrong going on among the prisoners upstairs
as
> she had heard a sound like sawing or filing. Our friend Jesse listened and
> heard the same sound. He took his double barrel gun and watched on the
> outside of the jail until next morning when he made an examination and
found
> that Pleas had made the noise heard by his wife and himself. Pleas says
the
> tool he used was given to him by a prisoner who was bailed out a few weeks
> since. He is now ironed.
>
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