- Old Idaho State Penitentiary
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Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site
A facade of the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.Location: 2445 Old Penitentiary Rd.
Boise, Idaho in Ada CountyNearest city: Boise[2] Coordinates: 43°36′10″N 116°09′45″W / 43.60278°N 116.1625°WCoordinates: 43°36′10″N 116°09′45″W / 43.60278°N 116.1625°W Area: 5,100 acres (21 km2), 15 buildings Built: 1870-1872 Architect: Unknown Architectural style: Romanesque Governing body: State of Idaho NRHP Reference#: 74000729[1] Added to NRHP: 1974-07-17 The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site, also known as the Idaho Territorial Prison, was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870. The territory was less than ten years old when the prison was built east of Boise, Idaho in the western United States. From its beginnings as a single cell house, the penitentiary grew to a complex of several distinctive buildings surrounded by a high sandstone wall. The stone was quarried from the nearby ridges by the resident convicts, who also completed all the later construction.[3]
The Old Pen is operated by the Idaho State Historical Society.[4]
Contents
Prison history
Over its one-hundred and one years of operation, the penitentiary received more than 13,000 convicts, with a maximum population of a little over six-hundred. Two-hundred and fifteen of the inmates were women. Two famous inmates were Harry Orchard and Lyda Southard. Harry Orchard assassinated Governor Frank Steunenberg at the turn of the century and Lyda Southard was known as Idaho's Lady Bluebeard for killing several of her husbands to collect upon their life insurance.[5] Two serious riots occurred in 1971 and 1973 over living conditions in the prison. The 416 resident inmates were moved to a modern penitentiary south of Boise and the Old Idaho Penitentiary was closed on December 3, 1973.[6]
In 1992, the Idaho State Historical Society recorded oral history interviews with fifteen former prison guards. These tapes and transcripts cover prison operations and remembrances from the 1950s to the closing of the prison. The collection is open for research at the society.[7]
The prison has been featured on the television series Ghost Adventures.
Museum and Historical Society
The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 for its significance as a Territorial Prison. The site currently contains museums, an arboretum and is a facility managed by the Idaho State Historical Society.[8]
In late 1999, J.C. Earl donated his personal collection of historic arms and military memorabilia to the state of Idaho. These items were placed on exhibition as the J.C. Earl Exhibit at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. They range from Bronze Age to those used today for sport, law enforcement, and military purposes. The Luristan Bronze collection dates to 3500 B.C.
Notes
- ^ "Ada County". State Listings. National Register of Historic Places. 2007. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/id/Ada/state3.html. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ [http://www.nr.nps.gov/Red%20Books/74000729.red.pdf[dead link] "National Register Information System"]. National Park Service. 2007. http://www.nr.nps.gov/Red%20Books/74000729.red.pdf[dead link]. Retrieved 2007-06-03.[dead link]
- ^ Wollheim, Peter (2005). "Correction by design". Idaho Issues Online (Center for Idaho History and Politics). ISSN 1553-9148. http://www.boisestate.edu/history/issuesonline/spring2005_issues/gallery-correction/gallery_correct9.html. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ Idaho State Historical Society: Old Idaho Penitentiary
- ^ Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site history.idaho.gov/oldpen.html
- ^ Marsh, Robert 9.; Steven T. Patricio. (2005). "Hard Choices". Idaho Issues Online (Center for Idaho History and Politics). ISSN 1753-9128. http://www.boisestate.edu/history/issuesonline/spring2005_issues/2f_hardchoices.html. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ Hodges, Kathy (1992 - 1999) (– 1992 - 1999&as_yhi=1991 - 2000&btnG=Search Scholar search). Guide to the Idaho Old Penitentiary Former Guards Oral History Project: 1950s-1970s. Idaho State Historical Society. Public Archives and Research Library. Idaho Oral History Center.. http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/nwda-search/findstyle.aspx?doc=oihohguard.xml&t=i&q=4.[dead link]
- ^ "Old Idaho Penitentiary timeline". Education Programs. Idaho State Historical Society. 2008. http://www.idahohistory.net/oldpentimeline.pdf. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
External links
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other Categories:- NRHP articles with dead external links
- Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho
- Defunct prisons in Idaho
- Buildings and structures in Boise, Idaho
- Romanesque Revival architecture in the United States
- Buildings and structures completed in 1870
- Prison museums in Idaho
- Museums in Boise, Idaho
- Prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
- Reportedly haunted locations in the United States
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