Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Site

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 3, 2018

1. The Site Marker

Inscription. In 1884, due to overcrowding at the county jail, a grassy field on Pine Street was chosen to house a new Bucks County prison. Groundbreaking took place on April 21, 1884. Stone work from the former jail, located on Main and Court Street in Doylestown, was dismantled and used for the new construction. Plans drawn by architect Addison Hutton of Philadelphia called for an expanded prison facility that included a three-story warden's house using the popular late 19th-century Gothic style. Directly behind the warden's house was the guard house which was used as a control center for transferring prisoners into the jail. This building was connected to 58 cells; each one-person cell was eighteen feet long, eight feet wide and twelve feet high. The overall design concept was modeled after the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.

Erected by the James A. Michener Art Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is April 21, 1884.

Location. 40° 18.497′ N, 75° 7.594′ W. Marker is in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County. Marker is in the outdoor entrance corridor of the James A. Michener Art Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown PA 18901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Museum (here, next to this marker); The Expansion (here, next to this marker); Corporate Business Partner Entrance Courtyard and W.B.U.X. Sculpture Garden (here, next to this marker); Bucks County Jail (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mercer Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Hanging (within shouting distance of this marker); Thinking Green (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Doylestown Agricultural Works (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Doylestown.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 3, 2018

2. The Site Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 4, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.