New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-09-09
BROWNS PALATIAL PRISON.
Commissioner Eckstein Gets Plans
For County Jail.
Structure is Large and Very Con.
veniently Arranged.
Cells Have Accommodations For
Forty Transgressors.

chairman Andrew d EckSteln, OF
the board Of county commissioners,
on Saturday received from Architect
A. J. Van Deusen of Winona, the
plans and specifications for the new
county jail and sheritf's residence,
and an examination of them discloses
the fact that the appointments of the.
bastile will be vertically palatial.
Architect Van Deusen has designed
massive, fre-proof prison; one which
is modern in all respects and which
will be an ornament to Brown county.
AS near as is now known the build
ing will be erected in the northwest
corner of the court house square, fac
ing upon Center street. From the
front it will present an imposing APP
pearance, the salient feature being a
ponderous three-story tower worthy of
a Rhineish castle. This is patterned
after the style in vogue in the days of
feudal barons and is crowned with
medieval battlements. A wing at
the opposite side preserves a pleasing
balance and entrance to the building
is gained through a covered rotunda
or vestibule between the tower and the
wing.
Very little excavation will be neces-
sary for the basement, as the founda-
ton is to be sunk but three feet below
the surface of the ground. The foun-
dation is to slope inward and will be
of the most substantial kind. There
will not, of course, be basement un-
Ger the cell portion but beneath the
living rooms the walls will be of suf-
ticient height to allow of every inch of
space being utilized. AS the building
is to be heated from the court house
plant, no provision is necessary for
boiler room, but the arrangement of
the basement, as is the case through
out the entire structure, is most con-
venient.
Here the kitchen is located, and it is
a large, comfortable room 14xl6 feet
in size lying along the Washington
street side. A dumb waiter leading to
the upper floors will save the cook
many needless steps and she will have
an outdoor exit, with another on the
east side of the Jail. The laundry is
below stairs, also, and there is like
wise lavatory, a room for the stor-
age of fuel and a vegetable cellar.
The high walls will give all the light
that is needed and perfect ventilation
is provided for.
On the first floor the front entrance
opens into spacious centra hall, ex-
tending back to the cell house. In the
northwest corner is the parlor and to
the rear of it the dining room. Across
the hall a bed room is located and at
the west side, separating the sheriff's
apartments from the cell portion, is
another covered vestibule. Here a
door leads to the jailer's office in the
cell house and to the first floor. It
also provides a way to the open air
and it is through this last door that
prisoners will be taken to the court
house for trial.
Necessarily the construction in the
second story is simple. The big cen
trail hall is again found there and in
addition there are four roomy cham
bers. All of the sleeping apartments
are furnished with large closets and
there is also a bath room for the use
of the sheriff and his family.
More than half of the building is
devoted to cell rooms, and these are
separated from the balance of the
building by an absolute fre-proof
wall. AS has been stated, there is no
basement, but upon the first floor of
the jail portion are placed the jailer's
office, a bath room and lavatory and
four cells for male prisoners, each
capable of accommodating four in
mates. Four similar cells are planned