Essex County Jail
Encyclopedia
Essex County Jail is located in the University Heights
section of Newark
, New Jersey
and was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on September 3, 1991. The jail was abandoned in 1970 when a new county jail was built. The jail is Essex County's oldest public building. The grounds are located adjacent to the Norfolk Street station of the Newark Light Rail
.
ran adjacent to the jail and formed the back of the property line. When the building was first built it was known as the Newark Street Jail. The jail was built to replace an earlier structure that was located at the corner of Broad and Walnut Streets and is the present site of the Grace Episcopal Church
. The jail consisted of a two story square building built of brick and local brownstone. In 1890, the original building was expanded with multiple additions increasing the number of prison cells up to 300. The building was also updated to include running water and toilet facilities in each cell. The building served as Essex County's main jail until 1970 when a new jail was built. The buildings were closed in 1970 and haven’t been used since 1989, when the county’s Bureau of Narcotics moved out after engineers deemed the facility unsafe. In 1991, scenes for the film Malcolm X
were shot at the jail. In 2001, a fire caused severe damage, collapsing walls.
million square feet of laboratories and offices. The design calls for demolition of the remaining parts of former jail, but the city's landmark's committee, which seeks to have it restored, rejected the plan in 2010.
University Heights, Newark, New Jersey
thumb|left|200pxUniversity Heights is a neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, so named because of the location of four academic institutions within its boundaries — Rutgers University , the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey , and Essex County...
section of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on September 3, 1991. The jail was abandoned in 1970 when a new county jail was built. The jail is Essex County's oldest public building. The grounds are located adjacent to the Norfolk Street station of the Newark Light Rail
Newark Light Rail
The Newark Light Rail is a light rail system under New Jersey Transit Bus Operations serving Newark, New Jersey. The service consists of two segments, the original Newark City Subway, and the extension to Broad Street station...
.
History
The original building was designed by architect John Haviland and was built in 1837 at the corner of Newark and New Streets. The Morris CanalMorris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
ran adjacent to the jail and formed the back of the property line. When the building was first built it was known as the Newark Street Jail. The jail was built to replace an earlier structure that was located at the corner of Broad and Walnut Streets and is the present site of the Grace Episcopal Church
Grace Church, Newark
Grace Church in Newark , located at 950 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey was founded on Ascension Day in 1837 at the behest of Bishop George Washington Doane, who intended it to be the standard bearer for Anglo-Catholicism in the northern part of his diocese .The church building, designed by...
. The jail consisted of a two story square building built of brick and local brownstone. In 1890, the original building was expanded with multiple additions increasing the number of prison cells up to 300. The building was also updated to include running water and toilet facilities in each cell. The building served as Essex County's main jail until 1970 when a new jail was built. The buildings were closed in 1970 and haven’t been used since 1989, when the county’s Bureau of Narcotics moved out after engineers deemed the facility unsafe. In 1991, scenes for the film Malcolm X
Malcolm X (film)
Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
were shot at the jail. In 2001, a fire caused severe damage, collapsing walls.
Current
Since the fire, Newark acquired the site from Essex County on behalf of the nonprofit group, University Heights Science Park, using a $750,000 federal grant. The developer plans to build a 50 acres (202,343 m²) science and technology park in the Central Ward that would eventually contain onemillion square feet of laboratories and offices. The design calls for demolition of the remaining parts of former jail, but the city's landmark's committee, which seeks to have it restored, rejected the plan in 2010.