150 Years Of Mayhem, The Wild Story Of New Jersey's Haunted Burlington County Prison Museum
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Kristen
Author
Burlington County Prison operated from 1811 to 1965 and was the oldest continuously-used prison in the United States at the time it closed. With over 150 years of escapes, executions, and even murders, its story is one of mayhem, mystery – and maybe ghosts! The prison opened as a museum in 1966 and is still open to the public today. Are you brave enough to take a tour?
The prison was also the first in the United States to be fireproof, and each cell was heated by a fireplace. It was meant to hold up to 40 prisoners (it housed over 100), separated by the severity of their crimes. The most serious offenders were kept in the dungeon, which was actually on the top floor. This was meant to make escape more difficult.
In addition to clothes, a straw mattress, linens, and a waste bucket, each prisoner was given a tiny bible.
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You'll note the offenders were listed as Victims of Jersey Justice. This common phrase meant that justice was swift and severe. Most criminals were convicted of theft, but other crimes included assault, adultery, arson, and operating a disorderly house - either a gambling house or a brothel. The prison accepted both male and female inmates, and the children of these inmates. The youngest resident was just a month old.
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Two prisoners were housed here but hanged elsewhere - Elizabeth Freeman, who slit her husband’s throat in 1831 and Joel Clough, who stabbed his girlfriend in 1833. As for the prisoners that were hanged here, they met horrific fates. Many died slowly of strangulation rather than quickly of a broken neck.
In 1933, Eddie Adamsky of the After Dinner Gang (known for robbing the homes of wealthy South Jerseyans out for dinner) escaped after allegedly sawing the bars of his window away and using his bed sheets to make the 20-foot descent to the ground easier. He was eventually found in New York City.
Like murder! In 1920, two prisoners beat two correctional officers to death with a steel bar from the coal furnace.
People have heard moaning and rattling chains; they’ve smelled cigarette smoke, felt cold spots, and seen apparitions.
The museum is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. for self-guided tours. Audio tours can be purchased for $3 extra. Don’t miss out on special events like seances, movie nights, and ghost hunts.
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Featured Addresses
Burlington County Prison Museum, 128 High St, Mt Holly, NJ 08060, USA