Happy Friday once again, and this is the final Friday for November. Up today is a photo of the Essex County Jail, dated December 6, 1933, although I suspect the photo is older than this, and dates back to the jail’s 1925 opening. This photo was taken along Peter Street and looks north.
A current view from the same spot reveals… too many trees, to get an exact comparison 🙂
The jail was built in 1925, and designed by the firm of Sheppard & Masson. I assume, despite not hearing anything for a while, that plans are underway to still replace it?
Anyone know the status of that project?
Have a good weekend, see you back here Monday.
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Andrew I believe the plans are still in place–and presumably moving forward. The Windsor, Chatham and Sarnia Jails will all close and be replaced by a Regional facility somewhere in the general 401/Provincial area. The City will certainly lose a long-standing part of it’s criminal justice history (and a “real” Jail in every sense of the word) — however, the new facility will mean an increase in local employment.
I love the old spelling for Jail. GAOL
It’s an old English spelling of the word. That first picture must have been taken in winter. The trees don’t have any leaves on them and I’m going to assume that the building is steam heated, witness the smoke from the chimney, probably firing a boiler. I wonder about the date of the picture, though. Casual observation implies that the wall that comes out to the street isn’t original to the building in that the brick doesn’t come close to matching.
Does anyone know about the house that is located behind the jail on Peter St. Shows as approximately 3270 Peter on Google Maps (behind the wholesale truck). Always thought it’s location, so far from the road and so close to the jail was curious – is this the old warden’s house?
i’m gonna embarass myself i did a few days there about 40 years ago for unpaid traffic tickets there’s a trap door in the floor that is painted red i guess from the old days when they hung people there none of the prisoners will walk on top of this door
Looks like the grass verge is gone along with Gaol. They still spell it this way in England.
The jail is going to be behind Windsor Christian Fellowship. That should really get the church going. They tried to stop the Hooters from being built. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are trying to stop this as well. They keep tweaking the plans for the new jail so I don’t know when they will actually break ground.
I have some other neat old press photos inside windsor jail that might interest you. I have one showing the loop hole for noose above trap door.