Charles Street Jail
In nearly a century and a half of continuous use, Boston's Charles Street Jail was a bustling crossroads where the famous and infamous rubbed elbows. Everyone from Whitey Bulger to a captured German U-boat captain to a future mayor of Boston—to name just a few—served time there. When it opened in 1851, the Charles Street Jail was hailed as a model for the humanitarian treatment of prisoners. Over time, though, as the jail grew increasingly outmoded, its name became virtually synonymous with corruption, misery, and overcrowding. In a landmark legal case in 1973, the courts ordered the jail closed, finding its conditions so bad they violated inmates' constitutional rights. After sitting vacant and deteriorating for many years, the magnificent, historic granite structure recently gained a new lease on life when it was renovated and transformed into a luxury hotel. Today, the building welcomes guests of a sort the old clientele could scarcely have imagined.
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Charles Street Jail
In nearly a century and a half of continuous use, Boston's Charles Street Jail was a bustling crossroads where the famous and infamous rubbed elbows. Everyone from Whitey Bulger to a captured German U-boat captain to a future mayor of Boston—to name just a few—served time there. When it opened in 1851, the Charles Street Jail was hailed as a model for the humanitarian treatment of prisoners. Over time, though, as the jail grew increasingly outmoded, its name became virtually synonymous with corruption, misery, and overcrowding. In a landmark legal case in 1973, the courts ordered the jail closed, finding its conditions so bad they violated inmates' constitutional rights. After sitting vacant and deteriorating for many years, the magnificent, historic granite structure recently gained a new lease on life when it was renovated and transformed into a luxury hotel. Today, the building welcomes guests of a sort the old clientele could scarcely have imagined.
24.99 In Stock
Charles Street Jail

Charles Street Jail

by Joseph McMaster
Charles Street Jail

Charles Street Jail

by Joseph McMaster

Paperback

$24.99 
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Overview

In nearly a century and a half of continuous use, Boston's Charles Street Jail was a bustling crossroads where the famous and infamous rubbed elbows. Everyone from Whitey Bulger to a captured German U-boat captain to a future mayor of Boston—to name just a few—served time there. When it opened in 1851, the Charles Street Jail was hailed as a model for the humanitarian treatment of prisoners. Over time, though, as the jail grew increasingly outmoded, its name became virtually synonymous with corruption, misery, and overcrowding. In a landmark legal case in 1973, the courts ordered the jail closed, finding its conditions so bad they violated inmates' constitutional rights. After sitting vacant and deteriorating for many years, the magnificent, historic granite structure recently gained a new lease on life when it was renovated and transformed into a luxury hotel. Today, the building welcomes guests of a sort the old clientele could scarcely have imagined.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781467134132
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 11/16/2015
Series: Images of America Series
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Joseph McMaster is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker who has lived in the Boston area for more than 25 years. He has drawn from a large variety of sources, including the vast photograph collection of the Boston Public Library.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 The Birth of the Charles Street Jail 9

2 The Jail in the City 29

3 Daily Life at the Charles Street Jail 45

4 Home of the Famous and Infamous 57

5 Escapes 81

6 Last Days of the Charles Street Jail 99

7 Abandoned 107

8 Transformation 117

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