Old Newgate Prison

Old Newgate Prison is a former prison and mine site on Newgate Road in East Granby, Connecticut. It is now operated by the state of Connecticut as the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine Archaeological Preserve. Previously closed for restoration since 2009, it was re-opened on July 14, 2018.[3] The site includes a colonial-era copper mine, and the remains of the state's first official prison, which was used between 1776 and 1782 to house prisoners of war from the American Revolutionary War. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.[2]

Old New-Gate Prison
Coordinates41°57′43″N 72°44′44″W
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1775
Architectmason levy
NRHP reference No.70000839
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1970[1]
Designated NHLNovember 28, 1972[2]

Description and history

State records indicate that copper was discovered at this site on the west side of Talcott Mountain, then part of Simsbury, in 1705. A mine was in operation in 1707, created by digging a vertical shaft and tunneling horizontally, with additional vertical shafts dug for ventilation. The mine operated until 1745.[4] About half of the extant tunnels can be seen.[5]

The Colony of Connecticut then converted the tunnel network into a prison, naming it after London's Newgate Prison.[4] The first prisoner for whom the state has surviving documentation, John Hinson, was committed for burglary in 1773, and escaped in 1774.[6] During the American Revolutionary War, the prison was used to house Loyalists who fought against independence, as well as British prisoners of war. During this time the holding areas in the mines became known as "Hell", and the prisoners were employed as miners (although this turned out to be unprofitable).[4]

In 1790 it became a state prison, the first such in America. Most of the above-ground facilities present today were built between then and 1802. These include the main prison wall, and five brick-and-masonry buildings, all of which now stand in ruins.[4] In 1827, the remaining prisoners were transferred to the new, "state-of-the-art" Wethersfield State Prison. Attempts were made to reactivate the mines in the 1830s and 1850s, but these ventures failed.[4] The site has been considered a tourist attraction since the 1860s. Nearby Peak Mountain offers a bird's eye view of Old Newgate Prison from the Metacomet Trail.

The mine complex was acquired by the state historic commission in 1968. In the 1970s the state rehabilitated the old guardhouse for use as a visitors center and interpretive museum, and took other steps to stabilize the ruins. They also constructed a sloping tunnel to provide visitors access via stairs to the mines. The museum and grounds re-opened to the public on July 14, 2018 after being closed since 2009 for structural repairs.

Old Newgate Prison was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was designated a National Historic Landmark two years later.[2][4] The site is now owned and administered by the State of Connecticut as a museum.

In 2006 an episode of Treasure Hunters sent the contestants to the prison.

  • Postcard from late 1910s, early 1920s
  • View of same wall as Postcard in 2010

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "Old New-Gate Prison". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  3. "Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine". Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development. Offices of Culture and Tourism. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  4. Charles W. Snell (January 4, 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Old Newgate Prison and Copper Mine" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 6 photos, exterior and interior, from 1971. (1.00 MiB)
  5. "Frequently Asked Questions - Newgate Mine". State of Connecticut. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
  6. "Prisoner List" (PDF). State of Connecticut. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
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