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Historic Stillwater Territorial Prison Ruins

[Nov.03] - It's very sad this place burned down

Members: Frozen and Locksmith

Way back in the day, back when Minnesota was just becoming a territory, there were three cities in existence: St. Anthony, St. Paul, and Stillwater.  St. Anthony (now Minneapolis) was given the University, St. Paul became the capitol, and Stillwater claimed the prison.  It was completed in 1853 and it burned down in 2002.

(An aerial photograph of the prison taken in 2000)

 

Despite a tall perimeter fence surrounding the entire prison site (to keep people out of the current construction going on) and high visibility from the road, access was relatively easy.

(Only a couple walls from the original prison were left standing)

(Notice the fire-damaged brick and window)

I was wary to take very many flash photos in plain view of the street because cars would periodically drive by as we crouched down and stayed still.  Moving over to the south cliff we discovered a few small man-made caves carved out of the cliff face.

(Very old shovel buried in the mud)

(The plainly visible pick-axe marks on the
walls gave the caves a great atmosphere)

(As did the poor bats trying to keep warm in a
 cave much too small for their needs)

(Dripping water created interesting patterns in the pool below)

(Barrels and metal cages of some sort left in a collapsed section)

(One of the last wooden structures still standing here)

(Very little graffiti was present)

The above picture was taken directly up, pointing at a hole in the ceiling.  With two flashlights shining up the hole we could start to see roots and other vegetation at the end of our beams.  This indicates we were able to see close to the surface.  Judging by our location (under the south cliff) I would guess we were directly beneath the Warden's house.  Why there would be a hole from the cave to the Warden's house, I am not sure.  Perhaps it was only for ventilation.  Or maybe the Warden had one of those James Bond style trap doors in the floor of his house through which he would send criminals.  Yeah, that's got to be it.

(A few blast holes visible in the ceiling)

(Another, cleaner, hole in the ceiling.
The long thing on the right is a tree branch)

Moving out of the caves and back onto the front of the property, near the road, we entered the last remaining building in existence on the property.  It was your standard one-giant-room warehouse type.

(I need a more powerful flash)

(A look at the rafters)

(One of the building's exits)

(A calendar for 1978-1980)

(Close-up)

(View of the street and the trailers left by construction workers)

(Silhouette of Locksmith)

It is very disappointing I wasn't able to explore the old prison before it burned down.  Stillwater lost a really great piece of its history.  If you would like to find out more about the Historic Territorial Stillwater Prison, try checking out the Warden's House in Stillwater - it is currently a museum of history.