One of the oldest remaining jails in New England, the Wiscasset Jail and its attached Jailer's House (1839) offer an invaluable glimpse into Maines early criminal justice system. First constructed as the local jail for Lincoln County, the building served as Maines primary penitentiary for its first four years of statehood, until the State Prison in Thomaston (no longer in existence) was built in 1824. The Wiscasset Jail is three stories tall and made of granite, and it contains twelve holding cells - one of which was intended for solitary confinement and had no windows that accommodated up to fifty prisoners. Even after the State Prison was built, the Wiscasset Jail continued to hold local prisoners until 1953, when it was deeded to the Lincoln County Historical Association for use as a museum. The Wiscasset Jail and Museum are still operated by the association and is open seasonally on weekends.
Year listed: 1970
For more information:https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=e587bd6e-da94-4496-ab9b-1fd079add480