Stillwater, Minnesota had a rich history of prisons. The first people began settling in the Stillwater area in 1843 with a logging company. At the time, Stillwater was part of Wisconsin territory on the very western edge. As the logging company and settlement grew, they broke away from Wisconsin and aligned with the settlement in Saint Paul in 1849 to create Minnesota territory.
With its new territory, Minnesota decided to spend $20,000 to create a sophistated and safe penitentiary. Construction began in May 1851 and the first state-of-the-art prison in the Midwest was finished in 1853. Apparently it's "telephone pole" layout became very infuential in the creation of future prisons.
One year later in 1854, Stillwater was officially incorporated as a city. On the same day, Saint Paul was incorporated as well. These were Minnesota's first official cities. (Minneapolis was founded in 1856 and incorporated in 1867.) Four years later in 1858, Minnesota would officially become the 32nd state of America.
This building, the Warden's House, was completed on the same day of the prison in early 1853. The first warden, Francis R. Delano, moved in on April 4th, 1853.
These days, Stillwater has a new prison on the south end of town away from the city. It's clearly visible when driving on Hwy 36 over St. Croix River. It was built in 1912 and has been in operation ever since. Wardens or deputy wardens still used the Warden's House until 1941 when it was given to the Washington County Historical Society. And in 1974, it was listed on the National Registry of Historial Places.
As both Wikipedia and the plaque in front of the house says, it is a symbol of significance for Minnesota's history as one of the only surviving buildings from its origin. The home is filled with many artifacts dating back nearly a century. However, a lot of the stuff has been donated from other wealthy families at the time. Not everything was owned by the weathly wardens.
When I was back in the states, I visited the home with my family, and I took many photos. According to the tour guide, the house is haunted, but I didn't find any ghostly images. Maybe I missed something in my photos, though.
