Though it has been standing since the 1700s, the historic prison on Main Street is still sturdy, said Hugh Whistler, the engineer heading the project to turn the landmark into a museum.
“Considering that it was built in 1774, it’s in remarkably good condition,” Mr. Whistler said last week. “There’s only one crack – in one of the back walls over here – in the whole building.”
The walls, which are two- to three-feet thick, “aren’t going anywhere,” he added.
That means the project isn’t going to be terribly expensive, Mr. Whistler said, explaining that he plans to keep the budget under $100,000.
“We’re not really restoring it; we’re just cleaning it up,” he said.
The engineer added that much of the prison will be left as it is.
“The cells, we’re going to let that speak for itself. It really is almost exactly as it was when it was built,” Mr. Whistler added of the small, windowless rooms where prisoners lived. “It’s really pretty grim.”
See the March 14, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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