Wetumpka State Penitentiary
Encyclopedia
The Wetumpka State Penitentiary (WSP), originally known as the Alabama State Penitentiary, was the first state prison established in Alabama. Built on the east bank of the Coosa River
in Wetumpka, Alabama
, it was nicknamed the "Walls of Alabama" or "Walls." For much of its existence the prison housed both men and women in separate quarters. The historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on May 8, 1973.
, under Governor of Alabama Arthur P. Bagby
, enacted a criminal code that authorized the creation of the first prison in Alabama. On August 21 of that year the state purchased a site along the Coosa River in Wetumpka, as the site was centrally located within the state. Bagby placed the first cornerstone of the prison in October of that year. By 1841 the $84,889 prison was completed. It had 208 cells and was surrounded by 25 feet (762 cm) walls. The first prisoner entered the prison in 1842. In 1922 Wetumpka became a women's prison.
A fire destroyed a portion of the Wetumpka prison on January 23, 1931; within 40 days after the fire the facility was completely functional. After a fire at the Speigner prison on November 28, 1932, Wetumpka housed the convicts from Speigner until December 26, 1932, after temporary buildings at Speigner opened. In 1941 the prison was renamed to the Julia Tutwiler Prison; at that point it was mostly used for female prisoners. In December 1942 a new Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women
opened, built less than a mile north of the Wetumpka State Penitentiary. The previous Wetumpka prison's usage decreased, and beginning in 1945 the State of Alabama began selling small parcels of the old prison land. Several buildings survived to the last decades of the 20th century, but have since been demolished.
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
in Wetumpka, Alabama
Wetumpka, Alabama
Wetumpka is a city in Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,726.The city is the county seat of Elmore County, one of the fastest growing counties in the state....
, it was nicknamed the "Walls of Alabama" or "Walls." For much of its existence the prison housed both men and women in separate quarters. The historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 8, 1973.
History
On January 26, 1839, the Alabama LegislatureAlabama Legislature
The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members...
, under Governor of Alabama Arthur P. Bagby
Arthur P. Bagby
Arthur Pendleton Bagby was the tenth Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama from 1837 to 1841. Born in Louisa County, Virginia in 1794, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1819, practicing in Claiborne, Alabama...
, enacted a criminal code that authorized the creation of the first prison in Alabama. On August 21 of that year the state purchased a site along the Coosa River in Wetumpka, as the site was centrally located within the state. Bagby placed the first cornerstone of the prison in October of that year. By 1841 the $84,889 prison was completed. It had 208 cells and was surrounded by 25 feet (762 cm) walls. The first prisoner entered the prison in 1842. In 1922 Wetumpka became a women's prison.
A fire destroyed a portion of the Wetumpka prison on January 23, 1931; within 40 days after the fire the facility was completely functional. After a fire at the Speigner prison on November 28, 1932, Wetumpka housed the convicts from Speigner until December 26, 1932, after temporary buildings at Speigner opened. In 1941 the prison was renamed to the Julia Tutwiler Prison; at that point it was mostly used for female prisoners. In December 1942 a new Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women
Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women
The Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is a prison for women of the Alabama Department of Corrections, located in Wetumpka, Alabama. All female inmates entering ADOC are sent to the receiving unit in Tutwiler. Tutwiler houses the state's female death row...
opened, built less than a mile north of the Wetumpka State Penitentiary. The previous Wetumpka prison's usage decreased, and beginning in 1945 the State of Alabama began selling small parcels of the old prison land. Several buildings survived to the last decades of the 20th century, but have since been demolished.