James 5:20 Missouri State Penitentiary Jefferson City Missouri USA
N 38° 34.425 W 092° 09.712
15S E 573009 N 4269809
You can still see this quotation from the Bible above the entrance to the old Missouri State Penitentiary ascribed in stone by order of Missouri Governor Fredrick D. Gardner in 1920.
Waymark Code: WMAFWB
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/10/2011
Views: 9
The ornate stone entrance to the old Missouri State Penitentiary was built in 1904-1905. It had a statue of Governor Dockery above the main entrance portal.
In 1920 Governor Fredrick Gardner had the building renovated in part to house the "Female Department"in this formerly all male prison.
Then,the three entrance portals had above them:
1) Governor Dockery's stone statue(center)
2) the quotation from the Bible's James 5:20(left)
3) the FEMALE DEPT.(right)
The biblical quote is as follows:
"He who converteth a sinner from the errors of his ways shall save a soul from death. James 5:20. Ascribed by order of Fredrick D. Gardner, Governor 1917-1920".
I assume the portal stone artwork was carved by skilled stone masons from the prison's population. The biblical quote is in the prose of the King James version of the Bible of that time period.
The penitentiary became a "correctional center" before it was decommissioned in 2004. At that time it was the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi River.
In 1919 Governor Gardner ratified for Missouri the document that became the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. Thus, women got the right to vote. They also would have a place to stay at the Missouri State Penitentiary in the 1920's courtesy of Governor Gardner's executive orders.
Currently,the old penitentiary entrance including this "etched in stone" quotation is a bit more accessible to the public along the newly widened Lafayette Street near the new federal courthouse that is being constructed. The Courthouse sits where the old prison gymnasium stood in 2004.
Address:
Lafayette Street just east of State Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Website: [Web Link]
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