Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-01-16
NAMES ANCIENT PRISON.
Prisoners Once Lowered Through
Trap Door Into Dungeons.

Prior to $50. when Maine became State
by ITSELF, all conflicts sentenced from his
section were confined at Charlestown,
Mass. There can be no question as to the
reason of the selection of Thomaston for
the State prison, because in the early part
of the 10Th century practically the only
portion Of Maine that was we'll populated
was along the seaeoast, and Thomaston
was selected because it was equally distant
between Kittery and Eastport.
A committee consisting OF DIR. Daniel
Rose OF Boothbay, Hon. Benz. Ames of
Bath, and Hon. Thomas Bond OF Halo
well, having been appointed to purchase
suta bic site for state prison-which
the legislature, on report OF a previous
viewing committee, had determined to
locate in this town, and which was to
be constructed under superintendent
of DIR. Rose, met February IS, 1928, and,
after inspecting the several localities
OF the place, decided, May Z, in favor
OF Rhinestone Hill" The site, consist
! ing of ten acres of land, including the
quarry of limestone so long used by
the first proprietor and his successors,
Wheaton, Knox, and others, and ex-
| tending from Main street to Georges
river, was purchased of Ex-Governor
King, at cost OF 5000, and the building
as far as its caves, constructed for 81, 900.
The contractors from Quincy or
| BOSTON, had, by the middle of July, no
/ less than fifty men employed on the
ground, with two lighters, transporting
the granite from st. George, and, after
Governor Paris and one of the council
had Inspected! the work, October Is the
| contractors finished their job and left
| by November "a. Other contracts were
made, among which Jos. Berry was to
cover the top of the prison with rock for
! $500, which, with the house for the
warden, was finished within the year.
| In June, 1924, all being in readiness,
and DIR. Rose having been appointed
warden, convicts began to arrive, fourteen
| having been brought by water from
Charlestown, Mass, July IA, making with
! those previously received, total of thirty
| five, mostly employed in the lime quarry.
In 1928, the western wing was enlarged
| by the construction of twenty additional
| cells.
| The original plan Of the prison by
which the convicts were nightly let down
| through an opening in the stone floor to
cells, ill-ventilated, damp, cold, not prov
ing satisfactory, a great improvement on
the side of humanity was made in repair
| ing and remodeling it IN 1884, by con-
structing three tiers of cells, one above
another, substantially built of stone, en-
tered by iron doors Of open CRATES, secured
by an iron bar running the whole length
of each tier and simultaneously bolted.
This alteration was planned and executed
at d cost of Si3.l77. The limestone got
out by the conyicts moi meeting with
/ sufficient demand, the bewing of granite
brought up the river from a quarry which
the State purchased in St. George was to
considerable extent substituted later.
A large part of the prison having been
destroyed by fire, Dec, %, 1850, the war
den took immediate measures for repairs;
and being visited January 2, 1851, by Gov
eruor Hubbard and council, his doings
were approved and $500 appropriated to
, conclude the work. A main building of
stone was erected, and nearly completed
in May, 1851. Thestone wall around the
whole yard, in progress some years, was
finished in 1854.
In 1855, guard-room was built on the
southeast corner OF the wall and story
added to the wheelwright's shop. In 1858,
the number of prisoners had so much in
creased, Numbering 1881 that there was
Of
was appropriated in March OF that year,
nothing was done, the sum being INSULT
Gent for the plan proposed by the archi-
tect employed to make examinations.
May IA, 1858, Warden Richard Tinker of
Ellsworth, on passing by the door OF one
of the shops was assailed by one Francis
Spencer Couillard, who stuck him with a
knife, in passing, on the right side Of the
throat, severing the carotid artery and
producing death in few moments. Cou-
lizard was short term man, was indicted
for murder, plead guilty and received, at
Rockiand, May 10, 1854, the sentence of
death, and was hanged in the prison yard
on June24 1864. Warden Tinker's death
is the only one OF any officer having been
assailed by one of the convicts since the
prison was built.
TIE original gateway OF the prison, over
which are in large numbers, the date, 1924,
would to-day be considered very made
quate for the hauling in or out OF goods.
AT the base Of this gate is q mark Of the
U. S. Geological Survey, showing it to be
142 feet above high water.
With the advent OF the Knox and Lin
coin railroad, the wharf " mich was origi-
naIly built beside the Georges river, be-
came unused and there are only few
relics OF it left standing, yet prior to the
advent OF the railroad all OF the supplies
incoming or outgoing we're handled at
his wharf.
The last convict, who was executed in
this prison prior TO the abolition of capital
punishment. was Daniel Wilkinson, who
suffered the penalty Of the law on Nov. 20,