The Old Jail was built in 1818 and was an actual working prison for 150 years. During the Civil War, the Old Jail played a crucial role in the region. In 1863, as Confederate forces approached Chambersburg, Union soldiers were temporarily held at the jail before being moved to a more secure location. Just a year later, in 1864, the Confederate troops burned Chambersburg to the ground, but the Old Jail was one of the few buildings left standing.
The Jail housed numerous local criminals, including “Lewis the Robber” who was known as the Robin Hood of Pennsylvania and Captain John Cook who was one of John Brown’s men who was captured after the unsuccessful raid on the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
The Old Jail saw its first two prisoners executed by hanging in the courtyard in 1879. The one prisoner had killed his wife and the other had killed a man at a local dance. The last person to be hung at the Old Jail was William Reed on April 30, 1912, for the shooting of his lover, Sarah Mathna. The old gallows can still be seen in the courtyard of the Old Jail.
The jail consists of the original building that was erected in 1818, an annex built in 1880 and a yard enclosed by a 20 foot high limestone wall. Also, the cellar contains five domed dungeons. It’s also known that these cells were used as a stopping point for the “Underground” railroad to shelter runaway slaves on their way to freedom.
---
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @twobrothersoneghost