Old York Gaol
About this property
The Old York Gaol is a former colonial prison at Lindsay Road and Main Street (United States Route 1A) in York, Maine. Its oldest portion dating to about 1720, it is one of the oldest prison buildings in the United States, and one of the oldest public buildings in the state of Maine. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. It is owned by the Museums of Old York and is open for tours between May and October. The gaol is a largely wood frame structure that has had a long evolutionary history of growth and change, and presently appears as a 1-1/2 story gambrel-roofed structure that is partial clapboarded, with sections of stone wall. The oldest portion of the building, dating to 1719 or 1720, is a stone cell block containing a single cell, with stone walls 2.5 feet (0.76 m) thick lined on the inside with oak planking. About 1736 several first-floor chambers were added, including a kitchen, dining room, and parlor space that has a folding partition wall (added late in the 19th century), so that it be divided into two separate rooms. In c. 1763 the second floor was added, with three cells and a central chamber. One of the cells, surmised to be intended for use as a debtor's cell or warden's room, is of noticeably finer quality. Around the turn of the 19th century a second stone cell was added to the first floor, along with an extension including a dining room, parlor, and bedchamber for the warden. The original portion of the jail was constructed using timbers from the earlier York jail built in 1656. The building served as the official provincial jail for York County (then part of Massachusetts) until 1760, when it was turned over to the town of York. The building's last major enlargement was made in response to a demand for better conditions in debtor's prisons after an increase in debtors following the American Revolution. After 1879 the building was used as a school, warehouse, and boarding house until 1900 when it opened as a colonial museum of relics. The Old Gaol continues to be a museum and reflects the jail and jailer's quarters as they were in 1789. National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine
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 York Gaol
This page lists Old York Gaol. 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 York Gaol listed on the National Register?
Old York Gaol was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1968.
What type of historic resource is Old York Gaol?
Old York Gaol is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Old York Gaol a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Old York Gaol has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Old York Gaol?
The period of significance for Old York Gaol is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Old York Gaol?
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 York Gaol will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in York County
Historic places, battles, and census history across York County.
Explore YorkCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Old York Gaol will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.