Columbus City Prison

The building was located at the northwest corner of Town and South Scioto Streets (near the present-day Civic Center Drive) in the city's downtown. It was built at a cost of $72,000. The building's main entrance was on its east side, flanked by two large, elegantly-designed gas lampposts, made of iron and glass. The prison served as the headquarters of the Columbus Police Department. The eastern side of the building had elegant rooms for the police board, and its secretary and superintendent. A large and elaborate courtroom was constructed on the southwest corner of the building's third floor. It had a large, intricate, marble-topped judge's desk, and desks for reporters, lawyers, and the police secretary. Bathrooms, washrooms, and water closets were placed throughout the building. ==History==

The first jail in the area was built in 1804 in Franklinton, near the site of its schoolhouse. It was the first county building, and was replaced three years later by a jail made of brick. A temporary jail was on the south side of Gay Street between High and Third Streets, from 1824 to 1840, beginning when the county seat moved to Columbus. The prison was commissioned by police commissioner David W. Brooks, grandson of a pioneering family of Columbus. The prior prison, by the late 1870s, was a "brick death trap", a two-story building just behind Central Market. Prisoners were led from the building, across a wooden walkway, to the courtroom and city council chamber on the second floor of the market building. The new prison, a castle-like structure, opened on December 29, 1879. The prison served as relief headquarters after the flood. The prison was demolished in 1920, after its offices and prisoners were moved to the city workhouse. By this time, 40 years of occupancy were seen as too many; it became ill-adapted to its needs. Prohibition had also lessened the need for prisons or workhouses, allowing for consolidation of the two. The building, still in some use in July 1920, was damaged by a fire. The roof was destroyed in several places, allowing rain to damage additional portions of the building. ==See also==