The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-01-21
REPORT ON COUNTY BUILDINGS
State Board Of Health Findings on
Buildings in Bennington and at
Manchester


report Of the state board Of health
relative to the county buildings in
Bennington and this village.
Copies of the report were served
upon the assistant judges of county
court and upon Sheriff Frederick God
frey.
The communication Of the board
accompanying the report reads as fol-
lows:
Enclosed herewith please find copy
of the report of the condition OF the
Bennington conuty jails at Bennington
and Manchester. You are advised
that the recommendation contained
in this report are hereby made the
order of the state board of health.
Yours very truly,
Charles +. Dalton,
Secretary and Executive Officer.
Report on Bennington Court House
and Jail
The court house and Jail located at
Bennington were examined by this
board on July 16, 1914. A previous
examination of these buildings was
made on August 5, 1909. The report
of this earlier examination described
the bad condition of the buildings and
stated that they were then unfit for
occupancy. Recommendation were
made that suitable buildings be erect
ed on new site or that very radical
changes and improvements be made
in the old buildings. Five years have
passed and practically the same unde-
sirable condition is found today, the
only change noticeable being new
plumbing fixtures.
A detailed description of the county
building is given in the previous re-
port and it is unnecessary to repeat
this here, but merely to call attention
to the general conditions so far as
they effect the sanitary character OF
the premises. The building contains
four distinct but related groups OF
rooms-the court room, and the ante
rooms used during court sessions by
court officials, at other times by the
jailers family, the county offices, and
county Jail and the jailer's living quar-
ters. The site of the building is alto
gether too small for building Of this
size and character. On two sides, the
walls of high buildings, but few feet
distant cut off the light and air so
that the building is practically lighted
from only the front and rear. The
cellar of the building is very damp and
the dampness penetrates the ofices
above.
The court room on the second floor
is reached by a single, winding stair
way--a dangerous arrangement if fire
should occur in the building when the
courtroom was in use. The courtroom
itself has no proper system of ventila-
tion.
The jailer's quarters on the first
floor at the rear are inadequate, it is
necessary to use for sleeping rooms
the anterooms Of the courtrooms at
the front of the building on the second
floor These rooms have to be vacated
when the court is in session.
The jail itself is at the rear Of the
building on the first floor. 1t is of an
old type Of construction long since
abandoned A few small windows,
high up in the walls, furnish small
amount of light in the main corridors
while the cells are left in darkness.
Old broken masonry with many crew
ices for harboring vermin forms the
cells where the walls should be Of
smooth steel. The floors are of wood
where steel or cement should be used.
No ventilation is provided other than
the windows, no fresh air is furnished
the prisoners and no foul air is remov-
ed. The Jail is Of insufficient size and
is often crowded to double its capacity.
There is no provision for giving the
prisoners bath and no means Of dis
injecting their clothing
The condition of the Jail when ex-
amined was filthy in the extreme.
Litter or rubbish was in evidence
everywhere The floors had apparent
ly not been swept for long time.
The bedding was dirty and not often
changed The unoccupied cells we're
left as vacated, the filthy bedding on
the cots and the litter and dirt on the
floor. The entire Jail was in decid-
edly slovenly condition.
The Jail as it stands is entirely un-
fit for human habitation. There are
many farms in Vermont where cattle
are better housed and cared for. Il is
disgrace to the state and especially
to the county responsible for it that
such an institution as this is tolerated
in the state. This is no more remark
able in view Of the fact that its con-
dition has been known to the people
Of that county for at least FIVE years
through the previous report of the
board.
In view of what is stated above CON
cerning the site of this county build
ing and the building itself, no chang
es or improvements which can be made
will furnish building properly suited
to the county's needs. II is therefore,
recommended that the building and
site be abandoned and new site Sc
cured and building erected sufficient