Dan's Papers - August 3, 2007 -

From 1916 all the way through the mid 1980s, the Sag Harbor jail was located south of Bay Street on Division Street, right by the water. In the 70s, the jail was closed. However, its history did not. On September 6, 1996, the Sag Harbor Historical Society reopened the jail for the public after receiving about a $10,000 grant by the Natural Heritage Foundation to repair the jail. Now, the Sag Harbor Old Jail House is a museum, which is open to the public.

The original purpose of the jail was not to house major criminals (i.e. murderers, bank robbers, etc.), but to keep peace in the town of Sag Harbor. The jail, which consists of three cells for men and one cell in the back for a woman, would keep the drunkards and the druggies off the street for a night. Usually, the inmates would be let out after only one or two nights of incarceration. The jail was also used as a "holding pen" for more serious criminals. They would be kept there until they could be transferred to a bigger prison, which could watch its inmates more carefully and with better security. Although top-flight criminals were not brought to the Sag Harbor jail, its history is still filled with rich and sometimes crude stories.

In the 1960s, Gil Collins, who was known as the town drunk and lived on Jefferson Street in town, was consistently arrested every night and thrown into the Sag Harbor Jail. Living in a small town, everyone either knew Collins or knew of Collins. Parents warned their sons and daughters to stay away from the drunk -- he was dangerous and would be a bad influence on their children. One night, in the mid-1960s, Collins was thrown into the jail again. Using a rope in his cell, he hanged himself from the ceiling and died. This suicide is the only known death in this prison.

Since its opening in May, the Sag Harbor Old Jail House has been kept up well. Upon entrance, there are three cells on the right, which were used for the men. The cells each had a sink, a toilet, a bed and are surrounded by yellow metal bars. As you keep walking straight, about ten feet ahead is the woman's cell. Although this is the biggest cell, it is the most secluded, in order to separate the two genders. This also has a sink, a toilet and a bed. Now, in the woman's cell, there is a bureau with books, pamphlets and past pictures commemorating the history of the Old Jail House. The pictures are of past cops who worked at the jail and in the Sag Harbor police force and of habitual inmates mainly from the 1950s and 1960s such as Gurden "Peek-a-Boo" Corwith, a man who was arrested in Sag Harbor numerous times in the 1960s for spying on women in their homes.

As you walk in, you will be helped by a volunteer from the Sag Harbor Historical Society, as he/she gives you a tour of the jail along with a history lesson. The Sag Harbor Old Jail House has attracted a diverse group of followers. According to Priscilla Ciccariello, a docent of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, in the past two months, jail has had visitors from four different continents (North America, Europe, South America, and Africa), five countries (The United States, Ireland, South Africa, Great Britain, and Peru) and seven states (New York, Maine, Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut). This sundry group of people adds up to over 100 visitors who have come to the jail since the end of May. In attendance, guests have had over 35 pictures taken -- of both parents and children -- by the Sag Harbor Historical Society docent.

The Sag Harbor Old Jail House is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on every Saturday and Sunday. When I went to the jail as an observer, I was warmly welcomed by Ms. Ciccariello and given a lengthy and fascinating lecture on the history of the jail and even, the history of Sag Harbor. I came home with pictures, packets and a book. I urge you to do the same, as you can learn while having a great time in town. The museum is charming, as are its representatives from the Sag Harbor Historical Society. I strongly recommend you take part of your weekend afternoon and spend it at the Sag Harbor Old Jail House. It will be a fun and interesting time for you and your family.

The Sag Harbor Old Jail House is located on Division Street in Sag Harbor and it open from 1-3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.