Preston School of Industry
The Preston School of Industry, also known as Preston Castle, is the best-known reform schools in the United States. It is located in Ione, California, in Amador County.[3]
Preston Castle | |
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Nearest city | Ione, California |
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Coordinates | 38°21′40″N 120°56′13″W |
Built | 1890 |
Architect | Schulze, Henry A. |
Architectural style | Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 75000422 |
CHISL No. | 867[1] |
Added to NRHP | July 30, 1975[2] |
After construction was finished in 1890, the institution was opened in June 1894 when seven wards (minors under the guardianship of the state, but not necessarily juvenile offenders), were transferred there from San Quentin State Prison. The original building, known colloquially as "Preston Castle" (or simply "The Castle"), is the most significant example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode. It was vacated in 1960, shortly after new buildings had been constructed to replace it. The abandoned building has since been named a California Historical Landmark (#867)[1] and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NPS-75000422).[3]
In 1999, the institution's official name was changed to the "Preston Youth Correctional Facility".
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced on October 21, 2010, that the facility was to close,[4] and a closing ceremony was held on June 2, 2011.
In popular culture
The 2014 film, A Haunting at Preston Castle, supposedly takes place at the castle itself and other surrounding areas.
The 2019 movie Apparition written and produced by Mark S. Allen takes place at Preston castle and surrounding areas.
Season 2, episode 1 sees the cast of the TV series Ghost Adventures at the castle.
Ghost Hunters investigated the castle's paranormal reports in season 6, episode 6.
Former wards
Former Preston wards include:[5][6]
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- Eddie Anderson (comedian)
- Rory Calhoun (Timothy McCown)
- Neal Cassady
- Don Jordan
- Eddie Machen
- Merle Haggard
- Ricardo "Pancho" Gonzales
- Tony Cornero
- Caryl Chessman
- Joseph Paul Cretzer
- Clarence "Tuffy" Reade
- Ernest G. Booth
- Allen Smiley
- Edmund "Spud" Murphy
- Ralph Fariss
- Felix Sloper
- Phil Thatcher
- Bill Sands
- Edward Bunker
- Gerald Armond Gallego
- Daniel Francis "Mexican Dan" Harris (a.k.a. Danny Droesch)
- Brandt "B-Legit" Jones
References
- "Preston Castle". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- "Preston Castle Foundation". www.prestoncastle.com. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- Hedger, Matthew (October 21, 2010). "Preston Youth Correctional Facility to close". Ledger Dispatch. Amador: Ledger-Dispatch.com. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- McManis, Sam (27 June 2015). "Discoveries: Ione's Preston Castle opens up about its harsh, haunting past". Retrieved 29 March 2018 – via Sacramento Bee.
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- Rubio, J'aime (November 28, 2012). Behind The Walls: A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry, (ISBN 1481075047).
- Rubio, J'aime (October 6, 2017). If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History, (ISBN 1548569909).
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Preston School of Industry. |