Burlington County Prison
Burlington County Prison | |
.jpg) Burlington County Prison, HABS photo from 1937 | |
    | |
| Location | 128 High Street, Mount Holly, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°59′47.4″N 74°47′23.03″W / 39.996500°N 74.7897306°W |
| Built | 1810 |
| Architect | Robert Mills |
| Part of | Mount Holly Historic District (ID73001084) |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003558[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 841[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 24, 1986 |
| Designated NHL | June 24, 1986[3] |
| Designated CP | February 20, 1973 |
The Burlington County Prison is a historic museum property, located at 128 High Street in Mount Holly in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. Operating from 1811 to 1965, it was the oldest operating prison in the nation at the time of its closure. Designed by Robert Mills, its design exemplified period thinking in progressive prison design, with individual cells, good ventilation, and fireproof construction. It was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1937.[4] Now operated by a local nonprofit as a museum, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.[3] It was later listed as a contributing property of the Mount Holly Historic District on February 20, 1973.[5]
Description and history
[edit]
The former Burlington County Prison is located north of downtown Mount Holly, on the west side of High Street south of Grant Street. It is a three-story masonry structure, built out of ashlar-finished stone and covered by a hip roof. It is in a U shape, with two wings extending to the rear at either end of the street-facing central section. Sash windows are set in recessed openings, some of which are topped by blind rounded arches. The main entrance is sheltered by a modern portico, and features a heavy wooden door with strap hinges, box locks, and a peephole. The interior passageways are finished in brick, while the cells have wooden floors. Some cells were larger, designed to hold multiple debtors (not considered to be dangerous), and a cell for extremely dangerous prisoners is located on the top floor, featuring surviving wall-mounted shackles.[6]
Construction began on the prison in 1810, and its first prisoners were admitted in 1811. The building was designed by Robert Mills, a protégé of Benjamin Latrobe who had recently completed a design on a prison in South Carolina (which was not executed). Its design reflected the latest ideas in prison design, which arose from movements to reform notoriously poor British prisons.[6] The motto over the door, "Justice Which, While it Punishes, Would Endeavor to Reform the Offender", was chosen by architect Robert Mills.[7] The Burlington County Prison operated from 1811 through 1965.[8] When it closed in 1965, it was the oldest operating prison in the United States.[9] It was converted into a museum soon thereafter.
It is reportedly haunted by a tall male in a uniform in the basement, and the third floor is claimed to have a flurry of paranormal activity.[10]
See also
[edit]- List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Burlington County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey
- List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey
References
[edit]- ^ "National Register Information System – (#86003558)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Burlington County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. March 25, 2024. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Burlington County Prison". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. June 23, 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
- ^ "Burlington County Prison". Historic American Buildings Survey. 1937.
- ^ Bruder, Richard; Perinchief, Mrs. Ray A.; Rogers, Eleanor S. (June 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Mount Holly Historic District". National Park Service.
- ^ a b Pitts, Carolyn (February 1986). "NHL nomination for Burlington County Prison". National Park Service. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ Mount Holly Township Info Archived May 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Burlington County Prison, Burlington County, New Jersey. Accessed April 30, 2025. "As you tour this museum we remind you that this building was a prison for 154 years…at the time of its closing it was the oldest continually used prison in the United States."
- ^ "Burlington County Prison". waymarking.com. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ "Two to Tango". Ghost Hunters. Season 4. Episode 2. April 12, 2008.
External links
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- Official website
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NJ-340, "Burlington County Prison, 128 High Street, Mount Holly, Burlington County, NJ", 7 photos, 25 measured drawings, 13 data pages
- County Park Information
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
- Defunct prisons in New Jersey
- Prison museums in the United States
- Museums in Burlington County, New Jersey
- History museums in New Jersey
- Mount Holly, New Jersey
- National Register of Historic Places in Burlington County, New Jersey
- Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey
- Benjamin Henry Latrobe buildings and structures
- Reportedly haunted locations in New Jersey
- 1811 establishments in New Jersey
- County government buildings in New Jersey
- Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in New Jersey
- New Jersey Register of Historic Places