Religious Reform

Religious Reform. . , As the number of prisoners grew, additional buildings were erected consisting of workshops, a chapel, a hospital, and a four-story cell block to house the overflow population and move inmates out of confinement in the mine. , These ruins mark the site of "The Upper Prison" built in 1805. Intended to be used as a cell block, the building proved unsecure and was ultimately transformed into a workshop. In 1815, the second floor became a 250-seat chapel. Prison officials hired clergymen from nearby communities to preach on Sundays and religious holidays. , Church services encouraged prisoners to consider their wrongdoings and to plan their return to society as law-abiding citizens. In addition to services, the guards led prayer and scripture readings during the prisoners' mealtime. ,

"The prisoners are in possession of a small number of Bibles and religious tracts which have been furnished to them by the Bible Society in this State." , New-Gate Prison Special Committee Report, 1810

, New-Gate inmates did their own preaching even before the chapel was built. One such "preacher" was a British loyalist named Simeon Baxter, who referred to himself as the "voluntary chaplain to those prisoners in the apartment called Orcus." (The term Orcus refers to a god of the underworld in Roman mythology.) Simeon used his time in the mine to preach against the patriot cause, and specifically the offenses of George Washington and Congress. Later his sermon was reprinted and shared in London. ,

"I shall now add some outward marks given of ancient tyrants, to show the violence and deceit of Congress." , Simeon Baxter, "A Discourse, delivered in the Mines at Symsbury," 1781

, [Captions:] , , Illustration of the two-story chapel with an entrance from outside the perimeter wall. Artist unknown. , , Chapel ruins with second story windows still intact. Date unknown.