- Bradford County Jail
The Bradford County Jail served as the
jail inBradford County, Pennsylvania from1873 -1991 . It was located inTowanda, Pennsylvania .History
In 1871, a new jail was needed for Bradford County, because the previous jail was located in the
basement of thecourthouse . It was constructed from 1871 to 1873. The land was purchased from thewidow ofDr. E.H. Manson , after thehouse on the property burned down in afire . The new jail was designed byAvery Frink , the architect of the Susquehanna County jail. The county commissoners 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 prisoners were moved in onAugust 14 ,1873 . The front section of the building was the home ofsheriff J. Monroe Smith and hisfamily . 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.Museum
In 1998, the county commissioners voted to transfer the property to the
Bradford County Historical Society . TheBradford County Museum 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 andfarm equipment , early industrial displays,painting s and photo boards, and military objects all representing the County's heritage.References
* "The Settler",
May 2001
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