In 1803 the Massachusetts General Court passed an act approving the construction of a prison.[2] The prison opened in 1805.[3] In 1828 the construction of a north wing was underway. The construction of the south wing occurred in 1850.[2] In 1853 the Legislature of Massachusetts voted to build a prison to replace Charlestown.[4] The prison's space increased as time passed. By 1867 the state converted a guardroom into hundreds of prison cells.[2] On the morning of April 10, 1873, an Englishman named William Patterson, who was incarcerated for burglary, stabbed a turnkey named John E. Shaw. Shaw's injuries were so severe that he was not expected to live.[5]
Gideon Haynes had fourteen years of service as warden of the prison about the time of the Civil War, and later (in the late 1870s) as superintendent of the Charlestown property when the prison in Concord opened. One of his children, Inez Haynes Irwin, became a noted suffragist, feminist, and writer. The Haynes family lived at 85 Chapman Street, a street that no longer exists.[6]
The new prison, MCI Concord, opened in May 1878.[4] Many prisoners were transferred to the new prison.[2]Governor of MassachusettsGeorge D. Robinson signed a bill ordering prisoners to be moved back to Charlestown on May 21, 1884.[4] In 1886 the west wing, with nearly 60 cells, was built in Charlestown.[2] In 1890 a prisoner named Moore escaped. During the same year "Chicken" Walsh, another prisoner, made an unsuccessful attempt to escape. At a later point a prison riot occurred.[7]
By 1903, of the prisoners at Charlestown, 75 were in life imprisonment, 54 had varying terms, and 863 were held under minimum and maximum sentence forms.[2] In 1920 Charlestown began manufacturing and issuing license plates.[8] The prison closed in November 1955, and prisoners were moved to other facilities.[2]
^G. W. Bromley & Co., Atlas of the City of Boston. Vol. 6, Charlestown and Brighton: From Actual Surveys and Official Records (Boston: Geo. W. and Walter S. Bromley, 1885), Outline & Index Map and Plate D, State Library of Massachusetts Real Estate Atlas Digitization Project, https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/205558
^Goldsmith, Larry. "History from the inside out: prison life in nineteenth-century Massachusetts." Journal of Social History. Northern hemisphere Winter of 1997. 1. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.
^"ATTEMPTED MURDER IN PRISON.; A Turnkey in the Charlestown Prison Stabbed by a Convict." (Full PDF article) The New York Times. Wednesday April 10, 1873. Page 5. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.
^Edith [“Daisy”] Haynes Thompson, “Inez and I,” c. 1964-1965, on file, Scituate Historical Society.
^"CONVICTS IN OPEN REVOLT; A DESPERATE FIGHT IN THE CHARLESTOWN PRISON. GUARDS USE THEIR CLUBS AND RIFLES FREELY -- A STRONG FORCE OF POLICE SUMMONED." (full PDF article) The New York Times. Wednesday August 8, 1890. Page 1. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.
^Jay, Mike (November 5, 2020). "The Hide That Binds". New York Review of Books. 67 (17): 51.
^"Warry Charles Dies in Prison". The Boston Daily Globe. August 10, 1915.
^"Connolly, Conway Lose Court Pleas and Start Terms". The Boston Daily Globe. April 9, 1941.
^Merrill, Anthony. "The Man Who Broke Charlestown". Boston Sunday Advertiser Green Magazine. December 17, 1939.
^"Movie Made Escaped Convict Go Back to Charleston Prison". The Boston Sunday Post. December 17, 1939.
^Zuckoff, Mitchell, “Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend” (NY: Random House, 2005), 307
^Gribben, Mark. "Jesse Harding Pomeroy". Crime Library. 17. Resurrection October 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on November 27, 2010.
^"Malcolm X--Man of Violence". Chicago Tribune. February 22, 1965. 2. "Arrested in Boston after a series of bur- , he was sent to the state prison at Charlestown."
^Bruce Watson, Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, the Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind (NY: Viking, 2007), 76, 82, 254–5, 308
^"White Sentenced to State Prison". The Boston Daily Globe. October 9, 1928.
External links
Prison Days and Nights, memoir by 1920s Charlestown prisoner Victor Folke Nelson
Media related to Charlestown State Prison at Wikimedia Commons
January 06, 2023
charlestown, state, prison, correctional, facility, charlestown, boston, massachusetts, operated, massachusetts, department, correction, facility, built, lynde, point, intersection, austin, street, rutherford, avenue, proximity, boston, maine, railroad, tracks. Charlestown State Prison was a correctional facility in Charlestown Boston Massachusetts operated by the Massachusetts Department of Correction The facility was built at Lynde s Point now at the intersection of Austin Street and New Rutherford Avenue and in proximity to the Boston and Maine Railroad tracks that intersected with the Eastern Freight Railroad tracks 1 Bunker Hill Community College occupies the site that the prison once occupied 2 Charlestown State PrisonCharlestown State Prison in 1840LocationCharlestown Boston MassachusettsCoordinatesCoordinates 42 22 29 11 N 71 4 3 24 W 42 3747528 N 71 0675667 W 42 3747528 71 0675667StatusClosedSecurity classCorrectional facilityPopulation992 as of 1903 Opened1805ClosedNovember 1955Managed byMassachusetts Department of CorrectionStreet addressAustin Street and New Rutherford AvenueCityCharlestownState provinceMassachusettsCountryUnited StatesIn 1803 the Massachusetts General Court passed an act approving the construction of a prison 2 The prison opened in 1805 3 In 1828 the construction of a north wing was underway The construction of the south wing occurred in 1850 2 In 1853 the Legislature of Massachusetts voted to build a prison to replace Charlestown 4 The prison s space increased as time passed By 1867 the state converted a guardroom into hundreds of prison cells 2 On the morning of April 10 1873 an Englishman named William Patterson who was incarcerated for burglary stabbed a turnkey named John E Shaw Shaw s injuries were so severe that he was not expected to live 5 Gideon Haynes had fourteen years of service as warden of the prison about the time of the Civil War and later in the late 1870s as superintendent of the Charlestown property when the prison in Concord opened One of his children Inez Haynes Irwin became a noted suffragist feminist and writer The Haynes family lived at 85 Chapman Street a street that no longer exists 6 The new prison MCI Concord opened in May 1878 4 Many prisoners were transferred to the new prison 2 Governor of Massachusetts George D Robinson signed a bill ordering prisoners to be moved back to Charlestown on May 21 1884 4 In 1886 the west wing with nearly 60 cells was built in Charlestown 2 In 1890 a prisoner named Moore escaped During the same year Chicken Walsh another prisoner made an unsuccessful attempt to escape At a later point a prison riot occurred 7 By 1903 of the prisoners at Charlestown 75 were in life imprisonment 54 had varying terms and 863 were held under minimum and maximum sentence forms 2 In 1920 Charlestown began manufacturing and issuing license plates 8 The prison closed in November 1955 and prisoners were moved to other facilities 2 Contents 1 Notable prisoners 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksNotable prisoners Edit Thomas Mott Osborne convinces Charlestown escapee prisoner Victor Folke Nelson to return to prison 1921 James Allen 9 Warry Charles 10 John Patrick Connolly 11 Victor Folke Nelson 12 13 Charles Ponzi 14 Jesse Pomeroy 15 Malcolm X 16 Sacco and Vanzetti 17 Norman H White 18 See also Edit United States portalReferences Edit G W Bromley amp Co Atlas of the City of Boston Vol 6 Charlestown and Brighton From Actual Surveys and Official Records Boston Geo W and Walter S Bromley 1885 Outline amp Index Map and Plate D State Library of Massachusetts Real Estate Atlas Digitization Project https archives lib state ma us handle 2452 205558 a b c d e f g h Barbo Theresa Mitchell The Cape Cod Murder of 1899 Edwin Ray Snow s Punishment and Redemption The History Press 2007 29 Retrieved from Google Books on May 23 2010 ISBN 1 59629 227 X 9781596292277 Goldsmith Larry History from the inside out prison life in nineteenth century Massachusetts Journal of Social History Northern hemisphere Winter of 1997 1 Retrieved on May 23 2010 a b c Around the Block Massachusetts Department of Correction Volume 6 Issue 1 January 2010 3 3 4 Retrieved on May 23 2010 ATTEMPTED MURDER IN PRISON A Turnkey in the Charlestown Prison Stabbed by a Convict Full PDF article The New York Times Wednesday April 10 1873 Page 5 Retrieved on May 23 2010 Edith Daisy Haynes Thompson Inez and I c 1964 1965 on file Scituate Historical Society CONVICTS IN OPEN REVOLT A DESPERATE FIGHT IN THE CHARLESTOWN PRISON GUARDS USE THEIR CLUBS AND RIFLES FREELY A STRONG FORCE OF POLICE SUMMONED full PDF article The New York Times Wednesday August 8 1890 Page 1 Retrieved on May 23 2010 History of the Plate Massachusetts Department of Transportation Retrieved on January 2 2017 Jay Mike November 5 2020 The Hide That Binds New York Review of Books 67 17 51 Warry Charles Dies in Prison The Boston Daily Globe August 10 1915 Connolly Conway Lose Court Pleas and Start Terms The Boston Daily Globe April 9 1941 Merrill Anthony The Man Who Broke Charlestown Boston Sunday Advertiser Green Magazine December 17 1939 Movie Made Escaped Convict Go Back to Charleston Prison The Boston Sunday Post December 17 1939 Zuckoff Mitchell Ponzi s Scheme The True Story of a Financial Legend NY Random House 2005 307 Gribben Mark Jesse Harding Pomeroy Crime Library 17 Resurrection Archived October 4 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on November 27 2010 Malcolm X Man of Violence Chicago Tribune February 22 1965 2 Arrested in Boston after a series of bur he was sent to the state prison at Charlestown Bruce Watson Sacco and Vanzetti The Men the Murders and the Judgment of Mankind NY Viking 2007 76 82 254 5 308 White Sentenced to State Prison The Boston Daily Globe October 9 1928 External links EditPrison Days and Nights memoir by 1920s Charlestown prisoner Victor Folke Nelson Media related to Charlestown State Prison at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charlestown State Prison amp oldid 1070755521, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
