County Stone Yard W State St Ithaca

Details
Address
County Stone Yard W State St Ithaca
Year Built
1903 (ca.)
Demolished
1910 (ca.)
Building Type
Institution
Construction
not specified
Annotations
1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca

Prisoners Work Shop
Breaking Stones

Media (Photos, Videos, Audio Recordings)
“WANTED—Common field stone, to be delivered at the county stone yard at the Inlet. For further information apply to W.C. Hine, chairman of ‘chain gang’ committee, Ithaca, N.Y.”

“WANTED—Common field stone, to be delivered at the county stone yard at the Inlet. For further information apply to W.C. Hine, chairman of ‘chain gang’ committee, Ithaca, N.Y.” 1903

Add Source/NarrativeSources & Narratives
“The County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Saturday and completed all business relative to the purchase of the site at the Inlet, where, in the future, county jail prisoners will be employed at breaking stone. The county will not gain possession of the property until June first, but in the meantime stone will be purchased extensively and everything will be in readiness to give the prisoners sufficient work for the winter.”
 

“Work for County Prisoners: Supervisors Complete Arrangements for Purchase of Stone Yard,” Ithaca Daily Journal, April 27, 1903, 6, https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=idj19030427-01.1.6

“According to the State Prison Commission, of the sixteen counties that have adopted the ‘chain gang’ methods of handling county jail prisoners, this county is not meeting with the least success.
A visit to the prisoners’ stone house at the Inlet, and a study of the manner in which Sheriff Curry handles the law breakers that are placed under his care, bears out the compliments that have been extended by the prison board relative to the success of the methods….
At present there are only four members of the chain gang. During the winter they are kept at work breaking stone which is used in the open season to improve highways. When Sheriff Curry made his tour of inspection this morning there were four men at work.
One of the most interesting of these is Icadore Delvecchia, one of the Italians who is held as a witness in the Lugi Porzi murder case. Icadore elects work in preference to spending his time unoccupied in jail….
After they get experienced the prisoners will break an average of 1,500 pounds of stone a day.
For some time past the prisoners have been occupied in making sign boards which this spring will be placed along all highways in the county for the purpose of giving travelers along the roads proper directions to and from different places in the county, together with distances. These sign boards are now completed with the exception of lettering.”

“Work for Chain Gang: Stone Breaking Keeps Prisoners Occupied—System Approved,” Ithaca Daily Journal, March 7, 1905, 3.

“It was through the efforts of the W.C.T.U. that the ‘chain gang’ was formed and the prisoners given a chance to work out of doors.”

“I Was In Prison Ye Did Visit Me: The Work of the W.C.T.U. At The County Jail Explained,” Ithaca Daily Journal, April 21, 1905, 6

“In order to avoid much of the expense of the county jail gang, it is understood that the committee on working prisoners has decided to discontinue the appointment of a regular foreman. Most of the work done by the chain gang in the town of Ithaca and the commissioner of highways of that town will be obliged to arrange for the safety of prisoners when used by him. When stone is broken at the city stone yard, the prisoners will be in charge of a temporary deputy sheriff.”

No title, Ithaca Daily Journal, January 15, 1906, 3, col 2

“The committee on county buildings made a lengthy report at the session of the Board of Supervisors yesterday afternoon on the work done during the year on the county buildings and other property. The committee recommended at the end of the report that the West State street property formerly used as a stone yard, be sold or improved so that it might be rented and furnish an income to the county. The property has been abandoned for some time and is only a source of expense to the county.”

“Property of No Use To County: Solons Would Sell Stone Yard Lot,” Ithaca Daily Journal, December 5, 1907, 3, https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=idj19071205-01.1.3

“The building committee of the Board of Supervisors met at the office of Clerk Baker this morning and voted to sell the county property at the Inlet known as the ‘County Stone Yard’ to Fred D. Van Order for $1,528. Since the county suspended the working of the prisoners, it has no use for the property.”

“County Stone Yard Sold: Property Disposed of to Fred D Van Order for $1,528,” Ithaca Daily Journal, April 26, 1910,