Norfolk County Jail (1817)

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The Norfolk County Jail was a jail located on Village Avenue in Dedham, Massachusetts. It replaced the first Norfolk County Jail on nearby Highland Street. ^[1]

Notable inmates[]

Notable inmates included Jason Fairbanks and Sacco and Vanzetti.^[1] Sacco's seven-year-old son, Dante, would sometimes stand on the sidewalk outside the jail and play catch with his father by throwing a ball over the wall.^[1]

Building[]

The two story stone building was built in 1817 and was 33' square.^[2][3] Part of the jail was torn down in 1851 to erect a central, octagonal portion and two wings.^[2][3] It resulted in a building with the shape of a Latin cross, and featured Gothic Revival windows.^[3] The three tiers of cells radiated out like spokes from the central guardroom.^[3] After it was built, the tools used were auctioned off at Marsh's Tavern.^[4]

Inmates were housed in the jail until 1992 when the Norfolk County Correctional Center was opened in 1992.^[2] A court forced the closure after 13 inmates escaped in 1989.^[1] There were at least 27 break outs during the prison's history.^[3]

Hangings[]

There were two hangings in the central rotunda.^[1] First was on August 8, 1862.^[1] Over 300 people received tickets to watch.^[1] was hung on June 25, 1875.^[1] Again, 300 people watched as his body twitched and convulsed for close to two minutes.^[1] One spectator fainted, and others obtained pieces of the hangmans rope to bring home as souvenirs.^[1] It was the last execution in Norfolk County.^[1]

Condominiums[]

In 1999, the jail was converted by the Brookline-based Parencorps into a condominium complex known as Stoneleigh.^[3] The sale price was more than $1 million.^[3] The 24 luxury condominiums were offered for between $450,000 and $650,000, each with between 1,800 to 2,500 square feet.^[3]

References[]

Works cited[]

• Dedham Historical Society (2001). Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019.

• Parr, James L. (1 October 2009). Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales from Shiretown. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-62584-277-0. Retrieved 15 August 2019.

• Austin, Walter (1912). Tale of a Dedham Tavern: History of the Norfolk Hotel, Dedham, Massachusetts. Priv. print. at the Riverside Press. Retrieved June 25, 2021.

Coordinates: 42°14′54″N 71°10′46″W / 42.2483°N 71.1794°W / 42.2483; -71.1794