Fairfield County Jail
About this property
The Fairfield County Jail was a historic penal facility at 1106 North Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Built in 1870-71, it served as a jail and prison for over a century, and was the state's oldest such facility in active use at the time of its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It has subsequently been demolished; the property is now home to the more modern facilities of the Bridgeport Correctional Center. The Fairfield County Jail occupied an 8-acre (3.2 ha) parcel north of downtown Bridgeport, bounded by North Avenue, Madison Avenue, Beers Street, and Fairmount Street. The main building was a sprawling 2-1/2 story masonry building, with an imposing Gothic Victorian facade. A multistage three-story tower rose from near the center of the main facade, providing a focal point and highlighting the main entrance at its base. The building was regularly expanded and altered over the many years it saw use as a jail. The jail was built in 1870-71 to serve as the county's primary jail and workhouse. It was designed by the Bridgeport architectural firm of Lambert & Bunnell. The original main building was designed to house eighty male inmates, twelve female inmates, and a debtors' cell. Facilities included quarters for the superintendent, a chapel, and an infirmary. The property was taken over by the state following the 1960 abolition of county governments. The state Department of Corrections then took over administration of the property, and added modern facilities. The 1870 jail was torn down in 1997. National Register of Historic Places listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Fairfield County Jail
This page lists Fairfield County Jail. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Fairfield County Jail listed on the National Register?
Fairfield County Jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Fairfield County Jail?
Fairfield County Jail is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Fairfield County Jail?
The period of significance for Fairfield County Jail is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Fairfield County Jail?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fairfield County Jail will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Fairfield County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Fairfield County.
Explore FairfieldCounty ›More historic places in Connecticut
Browse all historic places in Connecticut.
View Connecticuthistoric sites ›Connecticut history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Connecticuthistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Fairfield County Jail will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.