SITE HISTORY

What can an old jail tell us about a town? More than you think. Lets explore some of the historic jails in Santa Cruz County.

Davenport Jail (1914)

Built in 1914, the Davenport Jail reflected the community it served. It was constructed with Santa Cruz Portland cement from the nearby Davenport Cement Plant, tying the building directly to the town’s local industry. The jail appears to have seen little use in this quiet community and was reportedly used mainly to hold intoxicated residents.

 Front Street Jail (1936)

In Santa Cruz, very early jails had been built on Mission Hill and later Front Street but in 1936, a larger more modern jail was built. Built in 1936 and designed by architect Albert Roller in the Moderne style as part of the Works Progress Administration effort. An article notes that notorious prisoners held at the jail included John Frazier, Ronald Huffman, Edmund Kemper, Herbert Mullin, and Huey Newton. It held inmates until overcrowding and poor conditions necessitated the building of a new jail on Water Street was built in 1978.  The Front Street Jail was closed and in 1993, the jail building was altered for use and completely remodeled and expanded into the McPherson Center for Art & History now known as Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH).

 The Front Street Jail marked a major shift in Santa Cruz’s correctional facilities. Earlier jails had stood on Mission Hill and later on Front Street, but by 1936 the city needed a larger, more modern building.

·       Built in 1936, the jail was designed by architect Albert Roller in the Moderne style as part of the Works Progress Administration.

·       Notable inmates reportedly included John Frazier, Ronald Huffman, Edmund Kemper, Herbert Mullin, and Huey Newton.

·       The facility remained in use until overcrowding and deteriorating conditions led to the construction of a new jail on Water Street in 1978.

·       After the Front Street Jail closed, the building was renovated in 1993 and expanded into the McPherson Center for Art & History, now known as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH).

Boulder Creek Jail (1890s)

Boulder Creek’s jail was built by the 1890s and according to newspaper articles was constructed with redwood timbers deeply sunk into the ground to prevent anyone from digging out as well as timbers tied together with iron rods and no windows. Today, it’s a residence near downtown Boulder Creek that has undergone major alterations but in its day it housed some of the unruly Boulder Creek law breakers.

Watsonville jail (1937)

Capitola mostly relied on Santa Cruz’s jail but Watsonville had its own jail.  An early calaboose (a small one-cell prison)  was constructed sometime in the 1850s but a more formal jail was constructed in 1937 as part of the Police Station behind City Hall on Union Street.  In the 1980s it was converted into office space.