HISTORY: Historic Huntingdon, 1767-1909, Chapter 13, Jails, Huntingdon County, PA

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Historic Huntingdon, 1709-1907.  Huntingdon Old Home Week, September 
5-11, 1909.  Souvenir Edition.  Huntingdon, Pa.: Historical Committee 
of the Old Home Week Association, 1909.
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REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D.D. [portrait]
First Provost of the University of Pennsylvania.
Born Sept. 7, 1727; Died May 14, 1803.
Founder of the Town of Huntingdon, Penna.

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                              CHAPTER XIII.

                                  Jails

  The act erecting Huntingdon County authorized the commissioners to 
raise by taxation a sum of money not exceeding 200 pounds ($533.33), to 
be put into the hands of the trustees named in the law, for the purpose 
of building and finishing a court house and jail.  This sum, together 
with about 200 pounds more, chiefly subscribed by the inhabitants of 
the town, making an aggregate sum of $1066.66, was expended by the 
trustees in building a substantial house as a permanent jail, with 
provision for a temporary Court House over the same.  It was erected on 
lot No. 41, donated for the purpose by William Smith, D. D., located on 
the eastern side of Second Street, being the ground now occupied by the 
eastern extension of Penn Street.  Before it was fully completed, it 
took fire and was destroyed.  A prisoner, confined therein, was with 
some difficulty rescued from the flames.  The trustees representing to 
the General Assembly that they were under the necessity of contracting 
a considerable debt for erecting a new stone jail, capable of further 
enlargement as occasion may require, by an act passed April 19, 1794, 
the Governor was authorized to loan to the trustees the sum of 800 
pounds ($2133.33) for that purpose, and the commissioners were 
empowered and required to levy and collect by taxation a sufficient 
amount annually so as to repay the loan and interest in seven yearly 
installments.  The act of March 9, 1796, authorized the commissioners 
to levy the further sum of 600 pounds ($1600) for "erecting and 
completing the public buildings."

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  A second prison, constructed of stone, was erected in Third Street, 
near the southern line of Church Street.  This building served its 
purpose for over 30 years.  Some years thereafter, a new and third jail 
was erected and the center of Third and the northern line of Mifflin 
was preferred by the county authorities as a site, by reason of its 
being in full view of the court house, which then stood in the same 
street below Penn, fronting northward.  Although some kind of consent 
had been obtained from the citizens of the borough for the occupancy of 
a part of the public street by the old structure, the commissioners 
were unwilling to commence the erection of a new building on the ground 
proposed, without the formal approval of the citizens and authorities 
of the borough, and accordingly presented their request to the 
Burgesses and Town Council.  At a meeting of that body held Feb. 20, 
1827, it was "moved by Mr. Miles, seconded by Mr. McCahan, that a 
committee be appointed to inquire into the expediency of granting the 
privilege to the county commissioners of building a jail on Smith (now 
Third) Street.  Whereupon, Messrs. Jackson, Vantries, and Whittaker 
were appointed for that purpose and make report at next meeting."  At 
the next meeting held March 3, 1827, the committee reported that 
citizens had almost unanimously testified their approbation of granting 
the desired privilege as is provided by a paper signed by the said 
citizens and filed with the report, and presented the following 
resolution:
  "Resolved, By the Burgesses and Town Council aforesaid, that the 
consent and approbation of the said Burgesses and Town Council are 
hereby given to the said commissioners to build a county jail at the 
place and on the ground above described, so far as the corporation is 
concerned or is enabled to do by the powers invested in them."
  The petition bears the name of eighty-eight citizens.
  This building was completed in 1829; enlarged in 1840 and is still in 
use.