Trenton State Prison, South Trenton
In 1797 New Jersey Lawmakers authorized the building of a prison
here. The original building was replaced in 1835 and parts of the
current structure date from that time. Designed by Architect John
Haviland, who had designed Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia and
would later do the Tombs in New York City.
It houses over 1800 folks. Among its more famous residents were
Bruno Hauptmann and Reuben Hurricane Carter.
When heading down Cass Street toward the John Fitch Way I
always think of that very red old factory building then the
thump a thump of going over the railroad tracks before passing
by the prison. This is a view of the place from 2nd Street.
5 comments:
Use to wait there for those prisoner designed rubber balls to fly over the wall. They were great for handball at the boy's club lot.
I remember going to dances at a church hall across the street from the prison. I don't remember the church's name.
I was very young when we moved from 2nd Street, but I do remember the "prison balls" that Joe Z speaks of. When my mom was a little girl, she says she always knew when someone was executed, because all of the lights in the neighborhood would dim.
Mack, I have some memories of the rubber balls flying over the wall at the Trenton State Prison. I am a little fuzzy on this, but I think it was around three in the afternoon, each day. I guess it was the inmates yard time. The balls flew over onto third street. We would wait on our bikes down at Cass and Third. There was usually one or two guards out on third. We would wait until they were not paying attention or when a couple of balls came closer to us. We'd take off and scoop up what we could and head back to Cass St. The guards would yell at us, but never chased us.
We used them to play stick ball out on Dayton street in front (or back, if you prefer) of Franklin School. A home run was when you put one against the second story wall of the school from the opposite side of the street, in front of the garage doors of the house that sat at the corner of Dayton and Williams. We'd also play off the porch of Holy Cross school on Grand Street. Bouncing it off the steps.
Hi Joe Bob Bill & Ray.
Great posts.. I never saw a prison
rubber ball but if I would have known there was free stuff round there I would have got in on it too:)
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