Old Idaho State Penitentiary
About this property
The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was a functional prison from 1872 to 1973 in the western United States, east of Boise, Idaho. The first building, also known as the Territorial Prison, was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870; the territory was seven years old when the prison was built, a full two decades before statehood. From its beginnings as a single cell house, the penitentiary grew to a complex of several distinctive buildings surrounded by a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) sandstone wall. The stone was quarried from the nearby ridges by the resident convicts, who also assisted in later constructions. Less than two miles (3 km) southeast of downtown Boise and near Table Rock, the Old Idaho Penitentiary is operated by the Idaho State Historical Society; the elevation of the site on Warm Springs Avenue is approximately 2,770 feet (845 m) above sea level. Dennis, a kitten found in the prison barn by an inmate in 1952 was kept in the penitentiary for sixteen years. Guards allowed him to keep Dennis even though incarcerated men were not allowed pets. Dennis roamed the yard and made friends. The guards and inmates grew to love him. In 1968, Dennis died in his sleep. The inmates performed a funeral in his honor, even providing him a headstone. Dennis is the only "inmate" buried within the prison walls.
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 Old Idaho State Penitentiary
This page lists Old Idaho State Penitentiary. 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 Old Idaho State Penitentiary listed on the National Register?
Old Idaho State Penitentiary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1974.
What type of historic resource is Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
Old Idaho State Penitentiary is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
The period of significance for Old Idaho State Penitentiary is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
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 Old Idaho State Penitentiary will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Ada County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Ada County.
Explore AdaCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Old Idaho State Penitentiary will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.