New Bedford’s Ash Street Jail Only Cost This Much to Build

New Bedford has a long history with lockups.

According to the Bristol County Sheriff's Department website, "The original New Bedford Jail was opened on Monday, October 5, 1829, with William Reed as the first jail keeper."

The Department says, "The County Commissioners appropriated $13,236.30 for its construction." That's less than most new cars cost today.

READ MORE: Heroux Announces Plan to Close Ash Street Jail

The former New Bedford Jail, on Court Street, is used today for Civil Processing. The Sheriff's Department says, "The building had been previously used as the home of the Sheriff and his family."

As a point of reference, John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts completed his term as the sixth President of the United States in 1829, and Andrew Jackson of Tennessee took the oath of office on March 4 of the same year.

As New Bedford grew, so did the need for additional incarceration space.

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The Sheriff's Department says, "The County Commissioners soon recognized the need for additional facilities and authorized the construction of the New Bedford House of Corrections Building on the east side of the original jail lot between Court and Union Streets."

READ MORE: $3.8 Million to Fix New Bedford Ash Street Jail "Money Pit"

Realizing that the New Bedford Jail "had long outlived its usefulness by the mid-1880s," the County Commissioners "began plans to replace the old stone jail."

The Sheriff's Department says, "This led to the construction of the new 287-cell Ash Street Facility in 1888 at a cost of $80,000."

Though accused axe murderer Lizzie Borden of Fall River spent 10 months incarcerated at the Hodges Avenue Jail in Taunton, she was detained for 12 days at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford during her trial (technically, the Women's Home next to the jail).