Huron County Gaol National Historic Site of Canada, Goderich, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 43° 44.982 W 081° 42.469
17T E 443013 N 4844316
The Huron County Gaol with thick stone walls is notable for its octagonal layout with a central circular building for guards and cells around the perimeter. It is now a museum but it operated as a jail from 1842 to 1968.
Waymark Code: WMEDVG
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/13/2012
Views: 14
Huron County Gaol in Goderich was completed in 1842. It is notable as the site of one of Canada's last public hangings in 1869, if indeed this was not the very last one. The complex consists of two octagonal concentric structures, one the outer wall with a pedimented entrance, the second the prison building the wall encloses. The cupola over the prison centre is a notable architectural feature. Radiating out from the from the cell block are 18 foot high walls which separate exercise yards and gardens. The prison conforms to the designs of British philosopher Jeremy Bentham who felt architectural features would maximize chances of prisoner rehabilitation. Over the years the prison has housed debtors, the insane and old folks, but in separate sectors. Even the local court house once convened within its walls until councillors complained of smells and the need to pass prisoner cells to access the chamber. The complex is now a museum. It was designated of national importance in 1973 and plaqued in 1975.
Credit: Katherine Ashenburg, Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario, Macfarlane, Walter and Ross, Toronto, 1996.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Goderich
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: [Web Link]
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