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The Old Jail (also known as Authentic Old Jail) is a historic jail in St. Augustine, Florida. It is located at 167 San Marco Avenue. On August 27, 1987, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The St. Johns County Jail now serves as the Old Jail Museum.
The Old Jail
Built by Henry Flagler in 1891 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, the Old Jail served as the St Johns County Jail until 1953. Today it is fully restored and open to visitors who can tour its cell blocks, gallows and sheriff’s quarters while viewing its collection of guns, weapons and courtyard displays. Originally built to house up to 72 prisoners, the two storey northern wing of the Jail consists of a General Population and Maximum Security area, a women's section and a lower level kitchen. Maximum Security housed the most dangerous prisoners held at the Jail and includes a Death Row cell, for those condemned to die. A total of 8 men were hung from the Gallows on the Jail compound during its history. Overall conditions at the Jail for those serving varying sentences were quite poor by modern standards and prisoners were typically used as free farm labourers during the day. Baths were infrequent, toilet facilities consisted of one bucket per cell and diet was poor and was typically supplemented by any animals that the prisoners might catch while working on the fields. Segregation by race was steadfastly adhered to at the Jail and disease, violence and death were commonplace. The two storey southern wing of the Jail consists of an Office for the Sheriff and living quarters for his family.
Present Day
Today visitors to St. Augustine can take a guided tour of the Old Jail that are led by actors playing jailers. The Tour includes a close-up view of the men’s and women’s cells, maximum security, as well as a large collection of weapons. Visitors can see where the sheriff and his wife and children lived right upstairs from the prisoners and used their own kitchen to prepare meals for the inmates. The Old Jail deputies and prisoners will entertain and educate visitors with tales of its most famous Sheriff Joe Perry, its infamous prisoners as well as stories of justice and punishment when Florida was America's southernmost frontier.
Haunted
Ever since the Jail ceased operations as St Johns County primary prison facility, there have been numerous accounts of ghostly activity by many of the visitors and staff at the Jail. Full bodied apparitions have frequently been seen as well as noises such as disembodied voices, moans, metal doors closing, tappings and various other sounds. Some of these entities have been so terrifying that numerous guests and staff have fled the Jail never to return again. Its reputation as one of the most haunted attractions in St. Augustine has led to a number of professional paranormal teams investigating the Jail including two, by TAPS and The Paranormal Seekers, that were broadcast on television. Historic Tours of America[1] ,the owners of the Jail, offers guests a chance to meet the ghosts of the Jail by way of its Ghosts and Gravestones Tour [2] or spend the night investigating the Jail with The Paranormal Seekers [3].
References and external links
http://www.historictours.com/staugustine/default.htm
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