Deer Lodge in Powell County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
1896 Cell House
Old Montana Prison
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2013
1. 1896 Cell House Marker
Overcrowding reached a critical point by the spring of 1896. The cell capacity of 182 was exceeded by 150 prisoners who were confined in a single log building without cells. The log building was deemed “insecure, unsafe and liable to destruction by fire” by the State Board of Prison Commissioners. On April 27, 1896, the Board authorized the construction of a new cell house.
Utilizing inmate labor under the supervision of the Board’s superintendent of construction, James MacCalman, the 1896 cell house was constructed in less than one year. Inmate crews quarried the stone for the foundation and quarried and cut the granite for construction. They quarried and fired their own lime and dug the sand for the mortar. They manufactured and fired some 1,200,463 bricks. They laid the brick and stone and even cut the lumber used in the building.
The building had four tiers of thirty-two cells each in the men’s quarters, with a capacity of 256 prisoners. The youths’ quarters contained two tiers of eight cells each with a capacity of 32 prisoners. All cells were six feet wide, eight feet long, and seven feet four inches high. There was no plumbing in the cells.
The building was demolished after it received structural damage in an earthquake in 1959.
Erected by Old Montana
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 46° 23.543′ N, 112° 44.159′ W. Marker is in Deer Lodge, Montana, in Powell County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Main Street (Business U.S. 90) and Texas Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located within the Old Montana Prison grounds, just inside the east wall, near the southeast corner of the 1931 Administration Building, overlooking a wide concrete foundation and slab covering the site of the 1896 Cell House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1106 Main Street, Deer Lodge MT 59722, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1870-1931 Federal Building (a few steps from this marker); 1931 Administration Building (within shouting distance of this marker); 1959 Riot (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Montana Prison (within shouting distance of this marker); Execution of George Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); 1912 Cell House (within shouting distance of this marker); Siberia East (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1909 Last Spike Monument (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deer Lodge.
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2. Marker detail: 1896 Cell House
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Old Montana Prison
Also see . . . The 1896 Cell Block. None of the cells had plumbing and inmates used the bucket system: one for fresh water, the other for human waste. Each door locked individually, which, when combined with the wood stoves which heated the building and the wooden roof, created a safety hazard in the case of a fire. The lighting in the cells was insufficient even for reading; the wiring installed at the start of the 20th century could barely power a 25 watt bulb. There was no ventilation. A state investigation in 1931 found this cellblock to be "a disgrace to civilization." It was stifling in the summer, when inmates on the top tiers would throw items through the windows to create a breeze, and freezing in the winter, when inmates on the bottom tiers would drape the bottom half of their cell doors with blankets to keep out the chill. There was one shower facility for the 400 inmates with three shower heads; one for a rinse, one for a soap, and the third for a final rinse. The prisoners would step under these one at a time in a single-file line. (Submitted on December 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2013
3. 1896 Cell House Marker (tall view; looking southwest across former 1896 Cell House site)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2013
4. 1896 Cell House Marker (wide view from theater; marker visible beside east wall on right)
1931 Administration Building (two-story, white) and 1912 Cell House (two-story, red brick) in background.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2013
5. 1919 Prison Theater Auditorium (view from marker looking across former 1896 Cell House site)
from Wikipedia: "Dubbed the WA Clark Theater, the pride of the Montana State Prison was completed in March 1920. It boasted seating for 1,000 people in leather-covered seats and catered to prisoners and members of the community alike. It hosted concerts, plays, prizefights, movies, and more."
Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 198 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
