Norfolk County Jail (1817)
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The Norfolk County Jail was a jail located on Village Avenue in Dedham, Massachusetts.[nb 1]
Notable inmates
Notable inmates included Jason Fairbanks and Sacco and Vanzetti.[1] 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.[1]
Building
The two story stone building was built in 1817 and was 33' square.[2][3] Part of the jail was torn down in 1851 to erect a central, octagonal portion and two wings.[2][3] It resulted in a building with the shape of a Latin cross, and featured Gothic Revival windows.[3] The three tiers of cells radiated out like spokes from the central guardroom.[3]
Inmates were housed in the jail until 1992 when the Norfolk County Correctional Center was opened in 1992.[2] A court forced the closure after 13 inmates escaped in 1989.[1] There were at least 27 break outs during the prison's history.[3]
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.[3] The sale price was more than $1 million.[3] The 24 luxury condominiums were offered for between $450,000 and $650,000, each with between 1,800 to 2,500 square feet.[3]
Notes
References
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.