Bradford County Jail
Encyclopedia
The Bradford County Jail served as the jail
in Bradford County, Pennsylvania
from 1873-1991. It was located in Towanda, Pennsylvania
.
of the courthouse
. It was constructed from 1871 to 1873. The land was purchased from the widow
of Dr. E.H. Manson, after the house
on the property burned down in a fire
. The new jail was designed by Avery Frink, the architect of the Susquehanna County
jail. The county commissioners decided to build the jail themselves, under the supervision of Frink, instead of contracting work. Construction of the massive stone building began in 1871 and was finally completed two years later in 1873. m The first prison
ers were moved in on August 14, 1873. The front section of the building was the home of sheriff
J. Monroe Smith and his family
. During the jails 118-year operation, it housed a variety of prisoners, both male
and female
. After the jail was determined in 1991 to be in a rapidly deteriorating state, the county decided that a new, larger, and more modern jail would be built.
offers three floors of exhibits and activities presenting the history of the county. Through the exhibits, visitors are able to see and learn about the life in Bradford County, from the early days to the present. The museum holds artifacts on early settler's household and farm equipment
, early industrial
displays, painting
s and photo boards
, and military objects
all representing the County's heritage.
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
in Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Bradford County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
from 1873-1991. It was located in Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda is a borough in and the county seat of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Wilkes Barre, on the Susquehanna River. The name means "burial ground" in the Algonquian language...
.
History
In 1871, a new jail was needed for Bradford County, because the previous jail was located in the basementBasement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
of the courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
. It was constructed from 1871 to 1873. The land was purchased from the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of Dr. E.H. Manson, after the house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
on the property burned down in a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
. The new jail was designed by Avery Frink, the architect of the Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
jail. The county commissioners decided to build the jail themselves, under the supervision of Frink, instead of contracting work. Construction of the massive stone building began in 1871 and was finally completed two years later in 1873. m The first prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
ers were moved in on August 14, 1873. The front section of the building was the home of sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
J. Monroe Smith and his family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
. During the jails 118-year operation, it housed a variety of prisoners, both male
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
and female
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
. After the jail was determined in 1991 to be in a rapidly deteriorating state, the county decided that a new, larger, and more modern jail would be built.
Museum
In 1998, the county commissioners voted to transfer the property to the Bradford County Historical Society. The Bradford County MuseumBradford County Museum
The Bradford County Museum is a historical museum in Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. It is home to the building which previously housed the Bradford County Jail. It is owned by the Bradford County Historical Society, which has been in operation since 1870.The museum is closed during the...
offers three floors of exhibits and activities presenting the history of the county. Through the exhibits, visitors are able to see and learn about the life in Bradford County, from the early days to the present. The museum holds artifacts on early settler's household and farm equipment
Farm equipment
Agricultural machinery is any kind of machinery used on a farm to help with farming. The best-known example of this kind is the tractor.-Soil cultivation:*Cultivator*Cultipacker*Chisel plow*Mulch tiller*Harrow**Spike harrow**Drag harrow...
, early industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
displays, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s and photo boards
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and military objects
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
all representing the County's heritage.