The Norfolk County Jail was a jail located on Village Avenue in Dedham, Massachusetts. It replaced the first Norfolk County Jail on nearby Highland Street. [1] Today, the building is a condominium complex.
Notable inmates
Notable inmates included
- Jason Fairbanks [2]
- Sacco and Vanzetti. [3] Sacco's seven-year-old son, Dante, would sometimes stand on the sidewalk outside the jail and play catch with his father by throwing a ball over the wall. [3]
- Ezra Heywood. Heywood became friendly with Sheriff Rufus Corbin Wood who said to him: "If I could have my way, I would open the prison doors and say 'Go and sin no more!'" [3]
Building
The two story stone building was built in 1817 and was 33' square. [4] [5] Part of the jail was torn down in 1851 to erect a central, octagonal portion and two wings. [4] [5] It resulted in a building with the shape of a Latin cross, and featured Gothic Revival windows. [5] The three tiers of cells radiated out like spokes from the central guardroom. [5] After it was built, the tools used were auctioned off at Marsh's Tavern. [6]
Ezra Heywood said that "When I stepped over the threshold of Dedham Jail, I stepped from the civilization of the nineteeth century into the barbarism of the tenth century." [7] Two of his fellow inmates were 18 year old men who were sentenced to five years each for stealing $26 worth of hens. [7]
Inmates were housed in the jail until 1992 when the Norfolk County Correctional Center was opened in 1992. [4] A court forced the closure after 13 inmates escaped in 1989. [1] There were at least 27 break outs during the prison's history. [5]
Hangings
There were two hangings in the central rotunda. [1] First was George C. Hersey on August 8, 1862. [1] Over 300 people received tickets to watch. [1] James H. Costley was hung on June 25, 1875. [1] Again, 300 people watched as his body twitched and convulsed for close to two minutes. [1] One spectator fainted, and others obtained pieces of the hangmans rope to bring home as souvenirs. [1] It was the last execution in Norfolk County. [1]
Condominiums
In 1999, the jail was converted by the Brookline-based Parencorps into a condominium complex known as Stoneleigh. [5] The sale price was more than $1 million. [5] The 24 luxury condominiums were offered for between $450,000 and $650,000, each with between 1,800 and 2,500 sq ft (170 and 230 m2). [5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Parr 2009.
- ^ Parr 2009, p. 52.
- ^ a b c Parr 2009, p. 59.
- ^ a b c Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Associated Press (September 13, 1999). "Former Dedham jail being converted into upscale condominiums". South Coast Today. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Austin 1912, p. 24.
- ^ a b Parr 2009, p. 67.
Works cited
- Dedham Historical Society (2001). Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Parr, James L. (1 October 2009). Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales from Shiretown. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-62584-277-0. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- Austin, Walter (1912). Tale of a Dedham Tavern: History of the Norfolk Hotel, Dedham, Massachusetts. Priv. print. at the Riverside Press. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
42°14′54″N 71°10′46″W / 42.2483°N 71.1794°W
