|
|
| Historic Prison Torn Down in Maine |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/10/2002 |
|
Demolition began recently at the 178-year-old Maine State Prison, a fortress-like red brick and limestone compound that was a forbidding landmark along the coast. Crews breached the 22-foot-high outer wall and began tearing down the gymnasium, the first of 25 buildings to be demolished in the coming weeks. The debris will be deposited at the limestone quarry that supplied material for the original prison, built in 1824, and the site will be seeded with grass and turned into a park. The maximum-security prison has been empty since February, when its 450 inmates were transferred to a new $75 million prison in nearby Warren. Maine State Prison's cells were too small, there was no room for expansion, the heating and ventilation systems were inadequate, and the mechanical parts used in the cells were no longer made. Over the years, the prison had been damaged by major fires and rebuilt. None of the 1824 structure still stands. 'Whenever something would break down, we had to make the parts ourselves,' Warden Jeffrey Merrill said. The prison inspired a Stephen King story that was later made into the 1994 movie 'The Shawshank Redemption.' But the movie was actually made at a prison in Ohio. Merrill told of executions, suicides and slayings at the prison over the years, including the stabbing of the warden more than a century ago. The most recent escape was in 1976, when two inmates used planks to go over the wall. The imposing structure had been a landmark for vacationers traveling along U.S. 1. Its prison store, which sells furniture and other items made by inmates, will continue to operate at its longtime location outside the prison walls. The only part of the prison that will remain is a 30-foot section of concrete wall, which will carry a plaque. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Hiring an attorney can present confusing situations for someone. It’s hard to tell whether you’ll get the best service possible in your situation. You likely have a lot of questions. Will your lawyer hand off your matter to someone else? Will your lawyer return your phone calls? It’s hard to know without someone you can trust. If you been hit by a drunk driver in Waco you need a lawyer. People in Central Texas have trusted Dunnam & Dunnam for almost 100 years for their most pressing legal concerns. They understand the value of a good advocate. They’re a family helping Waco families since 1925.